Manse Letter from the Minister
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Manse Letter from the Minister

Dear Friends 

""Come to me all you who are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11: 28)

That familiar and well-loved hymn "Summer suns are glowing over land and sea" tends to come to my mind in these early days of summer. Indeed, just today I found myself humming the tune, almost unconsciously; a particularly strange thing given that - as I write - it is more than a little "chilly for June" and the rain has been falling for some hours. 

Nonetheless, irrespective of the weather, this season of early summer tends to lift my spirits. There are strawberries on the supermarket shelves, Wimbledon is about to commence, and the barbeque has been liberated from its winter resting place in the garage - more as an act of hope than definite intention! 

Like everyone else, I hope that there might be many good, sunny and warm days this summer, and that the words of that hymn might be a truthful reflection of reality and not simply a wistful hope. However, even should the rain keep falling, the skies remain overcast and the temperature less than seasonal, this summer time is a real blessing. 

All of us need to find time to rest and recreate, and summer can afford us that opportunity. Church life (both within and beyond the walls of the congregation) tends to quieten over these months. The days are long, and so are the weekly rhythms of life. It is a time, not for more hectic activity, but for rest and refreshment. 

The Gospels tell us that Jesus often withdrew from the crowds and from the demands of ministry. Sometimes he had his disciples with him; sometimes he was on his own; sometimes he found refuge and refreshment in the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus in Bethany. Rest, withdrawal and refreshment were part of the pattern of the Lord's life. And such seasons are certainly no less required by his servants today! 

These times of slower pace and longer rhythms are also times when we can be spiritually refreshed, find a bit more time to spend in his presence and be restored in body, mind and spirit, for renewed service and re-engagement with the work of the Lord. 

May you find much time for rest, recreation and refreshment in these summer months. 

Your Minister and friend, 

David Denniston