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Hi everyone! What a wonderful time of worship and BBQ fellowship we enjoyed last week. I hope you enjoyed it too and – in case you missed it – keep an eye on these newsletters for more opportunities coming up in the next couple of months.

This week, in our weekly praying and planning staff meeting, the devotion was led by pastor Ken who was reflecting on Exodus and the first mention of Sabbath. We reflected on God’s invitation not only to rest but also to trust in Him; God would ensure enough provisions in six days in order to be able to rest on the seventh.

I grew up in the sixties in a small town in northern England, the son of a master hairdresser father, and a baby clothes retailer mother. Our life then had a rhythm. Monday through Saturday was ‘go-go-go’ at work, making a living in the ebb and flow of economic climates. Sunday? Nothing was open. Everything was closed. It was a day of rest. Church and sabbath. The rhythm of life.

A decade or so later, everything changed. That rhythm changed to 7 days a week and – as a retailer – if you chose to observe the sabbath, that could mean economic ruin. I’m so grateful that Mum and Dad were able to retire before the present-day frenzy took over. The rhythm has been ruptured. A new culture has emerged, and the discipline of rest has been tested. Now more than ever, we need to make time to retreat and recharge.

God commands ‘Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy’ Exodus 20:8 (King James Version). It strikes me as interesting that this is the only commandment that begins with the word ‘Remember’ as if God knew we would be prone to forget or overlook it. And yet I realize for many of us that the tide of modern-day culture washes over us with such force that it causes the sand we stand upon to shift beneath our feet, this way and that. Thank God that we can sing in truth, “In holiness You stand secure through culture’s shifting sands” (From the worship song ‘Everlasting’).

Summer time can be a busy time – as any of you who have renovation projects underway can attest. We get stuff done while the weather is fine and dry and the days are long. A few of us got busy after the church BBQ last week. (It sounds like a joke … have you heard the one about the Church Chair, the Treasure and the Worship Leader moving an 800lb hot-tub?). It got me reflecting on the nature of rest in Him, and I was drawn to the gospel of Mark 6:30-31:

The apostles gathered around Jesus to tell Him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, He said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

In The Unquenchable Worshipper: Coming Back To The Heart Of Worship, another English worship leader, Matt Redman, observes, “So often when my worship has dried up, it’s because I haven’t been fueling the fire. I haven’t set aside any time to soak myself under the showers of God’s revelation.”

The fact is, we were designed by God to need a regular amount of downtime. Jesus knew this. After sending His disciples out on a ministry tour, what does Jesus do? He tells them it’s time to get away and get some rest. And actually, there is a work-rest rhythm built into the fabric of the universe. How else do we explain the seasons, hibernating animals, and dormant fruit trees? Sometimes the most fitting and God-honouring act is to simply be with God rather than to do for Him.

Ah, but we’re raising kids, looking after loved ones, checking off summer projects, getting to-do’s done. We are a hyper-efficient, get-it-done, type-A generation with places to go, people to see, and things to do. And we can shop 24/7 at retail stores and online. Everything is possible … demanded, almost. Armed with our smartphones, GPS’s and assorted to-do lists, we launch into our days with a vengeance. Is it any wonder that our souls can become weary are burned-out? “Expend extra energy focusing on God? Give my time and my attention, and affection to Him? I’m lucky to make it to church once a week, and sometimes less than that.”

When our hearts are exhausted and drained, chances are we’re thinking about anything but God. Today, let’s take a look at our schedules and ask God if we need a break from activity to focus on intimacy with Him, to rediscover the discipline of rest, to go with Jesus to His quiet place, and to soak ourselves in under the showers of God’s revelation. Retreat. Recharge. And let’s meet again Sunday morning to express our love and thanks to the most gracious God, our Father in heaven. Until then, have a wonderful, restful, worshipful week.

- Neil