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‘Merry’s miscellany’
The Vicar’s monthly letter for the Parish News
July 2026
We often forget, but one of the holiest things we can do is rest. To spend time with those we love. To walk in nature. To leave space in our lives to be creative, reflective, or simply to ‘be’.
That may sound surprising. We often associate holiness with activity. We admire busyness. We measure ourselves by what we achieve. Yet among the Ten Commandments is a commandment many of us struggle to keep: “Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8).
Our world rarely rests. The phone in our pocket means work, news and social media are never far away. There is always another email to answer, another headline to read, another notification demanding our attention. We live in a 24/7 culture that often leaves us weary, distracted and stretched thin.
God’s commandment to rest is not a restriction. It is a gift.
The Sabbath reminds us that we are human beings, not human doings. Our value comes not from what we produce but from who we are: people made in the image of God and loved by him.
The Bible’s vision of rest extends beyond people. In ancient Israel, the land itself was given a Sabbath. Every seventh year fields were left fallow (Leviticus 25). The Jubilee continued this pattern of rest, release and renewal. God knew that endless productivity eventually exhausts both people and the world around them.
A field left fallow is not wasted. Beneath the surface, renewal is taking place. The same is true of our lives. Time spent in prayer, worship, silence, family life or simply enjoying God’s creation may appear unproductive, yet it is often in these moments that our souls are restored.
As summer arrives and many people prepare for holidays, perhaps we might hear again the wisdom of the Fourth Commandment. In a culture of endless busyness, choosing to create space is a profoundly Christian act. Sometimes the most faithful thing we can do is stop, rest, and remember that the world continues to turn by God’s grace, not by our efforts.
Rev Merry