Here's something that we thought about on Sunday morning ...
Everyone looks forwards to their holidays – but have you ever thought about how to get the most out of them? God has made us physical, emotional and spiritual beings and so we need physical, emotional and spiritual refreshment. Clearly the balance will look different if you go alone and will also vary depending on who goes with you, but the principles remain the same.
It is tempting to view holidays as the time to let all routine slip - we think we owe ourselves time to be lazy? I even remember one Baptist Minister telling me that he left his bible at home when he went on holiday! I don't get this approach - we manage to factor in time to eat and sleep on holiday, why don't we plan the rest of our time with the same care? I'm not talking about some kind of facist regime timetable that runs in bondage to the clock. Of course there is room for spontaneity and flexibility. Nevertheless you will get so much more rest and refreshment from your hols if you spend time planning them beforehand.
Here are some suggestions of things to take / preparations to make:
- Swimmers / walking shoes (to exercise your body)
- a good book to read (to exercise your mind)
- THE good book to read (a different Bible reading scheme?) As a Dad I think it is especially important to encourage my family to grow spiritually. Holidays are not a rest from Christian discipleship.
- Some sermons on CD / MP3 for the journey
- details of church services where you are going. A holiday is not a break from church (imagine what that would communicate to your children or friends about how important church is to you.) Instead holiday is a great opportunity to encourage another Christian fellowship and also to be stimulated by a different congregation. The internet is great for this. In a matter of minutes you can find out the time and location of a good church near to where you are staying.
- details of what’s on in the area … we try to do a mixture of things - e.g. beach / museums / walks etc. so that everyone gets to do something they like and are stimulated by.
- rest for the cook? If one person usually cooks the meals how can we give them a holiday from that too?
Any other ideas / comments?
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3 comments:
A slight alteration - taking a book to read, should be out of the normal range for you. So, not your usual everyday reading - don't take a commentary for a series you will be doing in six months - leave that behind. Take a biography, or whatever - just something different.
Er, yes, thanks Jonathan. I did mean something like a novel. You are right that I wasn't thinking of a commentary!?
This year I read G.K. Chesterton's The Man who was Thursday ... plus a little Luther and Calvin.
Thanks, John – all good suggestions. Since we go to the same place every year, we have almost a set of routine activities…but thinking about it, there is always a good mix that leaves us refreshed – physically, emotionally and spiritually – by the time we return. I agree that it should be a holiday for everyone. On the catering front, we tend not to plan at all: the occasional meal out, lots of barbeques and other simple, cheap meals, with minimal time spent in the kitchen. We always go to the local Anglican church (about the best of a limited selection) on Sunday if we possibly can.
On the reading front, I personally feel that because I am so relaxed, I almost need something mentally stimulating. On our recent holiday, for instance, I read Ezekiel, a book on Christian epistemology, the first half of The Brother Karamazov, and continued my desultory studies of NT Greek…but that’s just me! My dear spouse, on the other hand, read a bunch of Patricia Cornwell novels... We might look for a happy medium next year!
BTW, I don't know why our account is called "The"?!
Regards,
Greg
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