Minister 's Letter - July / August 2009
Dear Friends,
Happy holidays! The great British Summer is here again. Well, we are told record numbers have decided to stay within these islands this year. Is it the recession or are people growing weary of the stress of flights, ferries and forwandering?
In pre-industrial society the only holidays were Sundays and the Christian festivals. Holy days and holidays were one and the same thing. One can only begin to imagine how precious and special these days were. Holidays clearly cannot be seen in exactly the same way as the old holy days. However, I am sure that it is extremely important in our highly pressurized society for holidays to be crafted in such a way that they do renew and refresh us.
Amidst our busy days, time with God can so easily be squeezed into tight corners. But on holiday we have the freedom to order our time differently and to find times of unhurried reflection and prayer. Time to read (maybe), pray and to listen. Perhaps the opportunity to worship in different places; how about tasting a Christian experience that challenges our comfort zone? All this thinking about holy days has led me to do more thinking about our weekly holy day - Sunday. The fourth commandment is clear enough. God has commanded us to rest one day each week, and to keep the day holy. What does that mean for us in 2009? Not so long ago, Sundays were very different - the shops were shut, the roads were empty and churches were amongst the few places to be busy. It was very easy for Sunday to be a completely distinct day ... a day set apart for worship and fellowship. But now Sunday is an incredibly busy day, indeed many of our own congregation have to work, and the idea of it being a "day of rest" feels somewhat archaic.
In 1985 the Keep Sunday Special Campaign was launched in order to promote a positive use of Sunday and to draw attention to the potential dangers of Sunday opening. In many ways the battle was lost with the passing of the Sunday Trading Act in 1994. However, whatever the laws of the land may decree, the fourth commandment still stands and we need to work hard to keep Sunday special - a day of rest which brings restoration and renewal. This is surely a vital principal, not just for Christians but for the whole of society. God forbid us going down some negative and retrospective road but how, creatively and refreshingly can Sunday be kept special in our society? This is an urgent and exciting issue.
As I was saying, "Happy Holy Day!"
In Christ,
Christopher White
PREVIOUS MINISTER 'S LETTERS
Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun