Monthly Message (last updated 6/7/10)

A Word from Chris

Jesus said to them, Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest. (Mark 6:31).

What a wonderful invitation from Jesus! He knew that both he and his disciples were worn out and needed a break from the crowds. They needed to get away from their normal surroundings, in order to be able to truly and deeply rest. He showed both his compassion and his common sense by taking them away for a while.

This is a season when many people leave home to enjoy some time off. If we are able to have a good holiday it can truly be ‘re-creational’ and we can return refreshed and renewed. Some of us become so caught up in the pressures and concerns of life that our problems can seem overwhelming. Jesus knew that, despite the excitement of being with him, the disciples would need time to stop and think about what was happening. In order to learn and to listen to what God is trying to teach us we need time and space to reflect. We are not made just to keep going and going, doing and doing, and Jesus understands that.

I hope you are going to have the opportunity of some kind of holiday this summer, however short, however close to home and whatever the weather! Can I encourage you make it a ‘holy-day’ as well as a holiday. While you are more relaxed, enjoy some informal and personal times of quiet prayer and reflection on the bible. Removed from your usual routines, you may well be more open to what God has wanted to show you for some time. So don’t forget to listen.

If you are not able to get away on holiday, still try to take a break from your normal routines even while remaining at home. Take a rug and have a picnic in your own garden or the park, visit friends, treat yourself to an ice-cream, or sit in the sun and read a book. With imagination any setting can become a place of relaxation and fun. And remember, we don’t have to do it all ourselves, Jesus understands our need to rest awhile. Above all, remember Jesus’ promise to us all:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest - Matthew 11:28

May God bless you all.
Rev Chris Goldsmith