Reflection for September 2025
HOLIDAYS
First of all, an apology. The September Reflection and Diary are late being published because - I’ve been on holiday! Which seemed a perfect subject for us to reflect on at the end of a long, hot summer. I think we've had four ‘heat waves and very little rain during the Meteorological Summer, which takes in the months of June, July and August. The first day of Meteorological Autumn is on Monday, 1st September. The children go back to school at the start of another academic year, moving into new classes and, for some, a different school. Please remember to pray for the children and teachers as they settle into the new school year.
Have you managed to have a break and get away, even if only for a few days? Perhaps you wait until September/October to take advantage of the much-reduced prices? September and October can be really pleasant, though not usually for beach holidays - at least not in the UK. The Mediterranean resorts and Canary Islands boast really warm weather accompanying those lower prices, making a beach holiday perfectly possible.
Many people can’t afford to take a holiday away from home. In Nottingham, the Council turn the ‘Old Market Square’ into a beach bringing in lorry loads of sand to the very centre of the city for everyone to enjoy. There are many attractions in our area for people to enjoy, many free. Portishead and Cleveland spring to mind, and Weston is only a short train journey away with good value tickets available.
How important is it to take a break? When God created the world and everything in it, including us, he worked for six days (or periods of time) and rested on the seventh.
Genesis 2:2 & 3. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. V3, ‘Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done’.
If God himself needed to take a break, then don’t you think it’s important for us to do the same? When I worked shifts, Sunday was often an ordinary working day. It was always replaced with a day off in the week. There is a saying that the Devil likes busy people, because their spiritual life often takes a back seat. Jesus himself took breaks from the demands made on his Ministry. In Matthew 14:13 we read that he was not always successful at taking a break, but later, v23, he managed to get time on his own. There are other similar examples.
So yes, it is very important to take breaks, to take time to pray and to worship. My challenge to you at the end of this summer is to make sure you make time each week to rest, just as God did.
Paul