Balancing
Dear friends,
The image above is actually of a practice called 'stone balancing' which aims to defy the laws of physics and can be helpful in combating depression. But it made me think about the balance in our lives. We often hear about work/life balance, particularly these days where the pace of life seems to be ever increasing, communication becoming near-instant and anything which happened more than 2 hours ago is old news!
Finding a work/life balance can be tricky, particularly if you include family time in that and depending on your personality as well - those of us who are introverts like to spend some time alone from time to time! While those of us who are extroverts will often want to be with people rather than alone. There are many draws on our time though. Our world is moving at an ever increasing rate and we sometimes feel like we have to run just to stay still - perhaps even more so in the church which might increasingly be felt left behind.
But do we ever talk about the balance with our faith and our ministry? When we talk of work/life balance, do we include all which God calls us to do? In my job this can be a particular challenge as there is an added dimension to balance with my personal journey with God alongside being Vicar of this parish. But for all of us it poses the challenge of whether we consider doing what God has called us to do work. God has created a wonderful world for us to enjoy and we know that Jesus told us that he came that we might have life in all its fulness (see John 10). But that can be hard to put into practice or even to know what it means!
I like to come back to the story of Mary and Martha - you're probably familiar with it but if not then perhaps have a read here. Jesus reminds Martha that it is important to look at our priorities. In this translation it tells us Mary is distracted from Jesus by preparing the dinner. We might often find ourselves distracted from something by what we consider important at the time but we must always be willing to reassess our priorities.
Our priority should always be living and growing with God but sometimes that might be through our discipleship (like reading the Bible, talking with other Christians or prayer); through our home life (like cooking a meal, doing the washing or gardening); through our leisure (like playing sports, going for a walk, reading a book); or through time with others (like meals with friends, worship at Church, family gatherings). Whatever we are doing, let us remember not to become distracted from our greatest calling in life - to simply be children of God. And let us all keep the faith.
June Services
Sunday 18th June
9:15am - Holy Communion @ St. John the Evangelist, Littlewick Green
10:30am - God in Quiet @ St. Mary the Virgin, Hurley
11am - Holy Communion (BCP) @ St. James-the-Less, Stubbings
Sunday 25th June
9am - Come to the Table @ St. James-the-Less, Stubbings
10:30am - Holy Communion @ St. Mary the Virgin, Hurley
Mark and Rosalie Balfour
Many of us were able to gather and hear about the wonderful work Mark and Rosalie are doing in Guatemala with street children - if you weren't able to join us (or if you were and want to know more!) then you can find out more here. Please keep Mark and Rosalie in your prayers.
Want to know more about the Bible?
I am hoping to get some groups together later in the year to begin exploring the Bible together - I know there were some home groups which met in the past (if you are still meeting, please let me know!) It would be great to get some more going where we can meet and talk about our faith together - it is both a source of encouragement and discipleship. I am currently planning what shape this might take but if you would be interested in being involved, please get in touch.
Morning Prayer at 9:15am
Wednesday St. James-the-Less, Stubbings
Thursday St. John the Evangelist, Littlewick Green
Friday St. Mary the Virgin
Our churches are open for private prayer:
Littlewick Green – open every day 11am – 4pm
Hurley – open every day 8am – 4pm
Stubbings – open Monday to Friday 9am – 12 noon
Parish Office
As you may be aware, our Parish Administrator Claire is having medical treatment at the moment and is in the office only occasionally. In the meantime, we will be running reduced hours in the office so the best way to get in touch is via the office e-mail (office@burchettsgreenparish.org). There should be someone in the office on Monday and Thursday morning and I will be available as many Wednesday mornings as I can. For anything which you need I can also be contacted on vicar@burchettsgreenparish.org and 01628 822974, - please note the vicar's day off is Tuesday
Blessings to you all,
Tom