Dear Friends..........

As we come into the summer months, many of us will be looking forward to a holiday, a day out, or simply a little more space in everyday life. The

longer days and warmer weather often help us slow down a little. However this summer looks for you, I want to offer a simple encouragement: your

rest matters!

The words of the well‑loved hymn

Dear Lord and Father of Mankind

are especially suitable for a good summer break:

Drop thy still dews of quietness,

till all our strivings cease,

Take from our souls the strain and stress,

and let our ordered lives confess

the beauty of thy peace.

True rest is not just the absence of busyness, but the presence of peace.

The biblical scholar Walter Brueggemann described Sabbath as an act of

trust, and that thought has stayed with me. To rest is to trust that the

world will keep turning. Many people carry more than we realise —

concerns about family, work, health, finances, church life, and the wider

world. It is easy to feel weighed down by all these calls for our attention.

Through Scripture, Sabbath is presented as a gift. From the creation story,

where God rests on the seventh day, to Jesus’ reminder that “the Sabbath

was made for humankind,” we are shown that periods of rest are part of

God’s vision for human life.

Perhaps rest is one of the invitations of summer: to notice again what is

good. To share time with loved ones, enjoy a novel or an ice cream (or

two!). To take an early morning walk or pause long enough to watch the

colours of a sunrise or sunset. These are the moments that remind us of

God’s goodness and grace.

Whether you are travelling this summer, or staying closer to home, cherish

your rest – it is a gift from God. I hope this summer brings you the peace

and assurance that you are held in the love and care of God.

With every blessing,

Siobhán

Minister of the North Downs Surrey Pastorate

Taken from the July/August Edition of The Record