Date for your Diary 20^th / 21^st SeptemberWe are going to hold a joint Hazelwell / St Bede’s church non-residential weekend. It will be held at Lickey Church. More details to follow, so reserve the date in your diary

The Thursday morning meet-up  is going to take a break for the summer period as folk have various holidays and other commitments booked during the summer but meetings will start again in September.

(Excerpts from-) A reflection on Resting with Jesus by James Lawrence

Mark 6 30-31 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.31 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.”

How is it that our world seems to be spinning faster and faster with every passing year? And that our lives just seem to get busier and busier? And that even with all of the progress we have made, we seem to have less time than ever?

As you know, many of our modern inventions were created to give us more time. Dishwashers, for example, washing machines, microwaves, cars and cell phones. These are great inventions, and I am thankful to have them. But they are supposed to help us to do more in less time. So why is it that we seem to have less free time than ever before?

But I don’t think that this rest is simply physical rest. I think Jesus is offering them spiritual rest, rest for their souls.

So what did he do? “In the morning, while it was still very dark,” we read in Mark 1:35, Jesus “got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.” Jesus followed up his healing and teaching by resting in prayer. Not by sleeping. He actually had to give up a little sleep, and leave while it was still dark so that no one would stop him. But he did this, and he went to this deserted place to pray, and to get some needed spiritual rest. Some rest for his soul.

When we think of rest, we usually think of rest for our bodies. But when Jesus thinks of rest, he is talking about rest for our souls. And these are very different. Of course, in this fast-paced world of ours, we often forget to do either of these, don’t we?

Of course, if I am going to talk about spiritual rest, I can’t help but share my favourite gospel verse, from Matthew 11, when Jesus says:

Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. MATTHEW 11:28-29