It's Still All Quiet

Well, a week has gone by, and it's still as quiet as last week! Most people at work are on holiday, or else like me, are assuming everyone else is, so not going into the office.

The countdown is on though to my own holiday - 2 weeks in sunny Cornwall, so long as we get the car back from the garage. Did I say "sunny"? There's the optimist in me, especially after last night's absolutely torrential downpour, accompanied with lightening and thunder.

What I do wonder though, is how many christians put their faith on holiday whilst on holiday themselves. I hold my hand up to that one, not having attended church whilst on holiday for several years. A leader on my eldest son's christian camp said that doing this was his holiday, and was going straight to another one, and another the week after that. I haven't even volunteered for helping with the childrens' activities at my local this year either, although I do have other 'duties', whether doing sound, or prayers, etc.

So do I send my faith on holiday when I go away, or do I use the time to sharpen it up with some meaningful reading? Do I use the time to rest and relax with the family, or do I give up some time that I wouldn't normally do to refresh my relationship with God?

As they say, "a change is as good as a rest", but in this case, I should make certain it's better.

It's Very Quiet

It's at this time of the year when people are on holiday that things tend to be very quiet. The Lambeth Conference has just finished with nothing of value really helping the plight of the traditionalist, so all quiet there; my eldest son is at church camp, so it's all quiet at home; and both work offices I use are also very thin on the ground.

It should be at a time like this that my brain provides some space to do a bit more thinking, but that too seems to have gone on holiday.

On the BBC's breakfast news either this morning or yesterday, there was an article on a church youth group going abroad to Europe's 2nd poorest country (can't remember the details - told you my brain is on holiday) to help improve the environment and give box gifts to the people. That to me is real Christian love in action, and an outworking of God's Spirit. A meeting of a few, including the rector, at my local parish church recently discussed how we could improve the mens' ministry, but this youth group's action makes our discussion pale into insignificance, except for the one fact that whoever we givethe Gospel to, that is following Jesus' command to make disciples of all nations. So an outreach breakfast at my place for a few in the local neighbourhood is of value, I just really admire those who did that missionary trip though.

My prayer is for more Spirit inspired, challenging and potentially difficult outreach like that, and may I not be too cowardly to venture beyond my own breakfast table. Amen.