And so we enter the summer holiday season!

I’m a great lover of words, and especially their origins and histories. It may (or may not!) interest you to know that in June 2018 almost 900 new words and phrases were added to the Oxford English Dictionary, including ‘binge-watch’, and several words from A. A. Milne’s ‘A House at Pooh Corner’ which celebrates its 95^th birthday this year. Since then of course, words like ‘lockdown’ and ‘bubble’ have taken on a whole new meaning. The English language, both written and spoken, is constantly evolving along with the world around us.

The word ‘holiday’ has only been in use since the 1400s, coming from the Old English word for ‘Holy Day’ – a period where the day-to-day cycle of work and recreation was set aside to focus specifically on God. There are at least 8 holy days or periods mentioned in the Bible, and down the centuries the Christian church has introduced many others including Lent, Advent, Good Friday and Pentecost, as well as the more commonly known ones like Christmas Day and Easter Sunday.

For many of us these holy days (or festivals as we’re probably more used to calling them) still provide fabulous opportunities to reconnect with God and join our prayers with folk from down the ages and across the world. I make no secret of the fact that the Christmas Carol Service and the Christmas Eve Service are my highlights of the church year, never failing to move me deeply. Maybe you feel the similarly, or is there another service, ritual or practice that never fails to help you draw closer to God?

But what, you may be wondering, does this have to do with the July/August notices?

At a first glance the next two months may appear to be the absolute opposite of a traditional festival period. Indeed they have a reputation for being a quiet time in the life of the church. We don’t celebrate any major holy days, although some other denominations do. However, I would say that for that very reason August in particular (or if not August then whichever month or period has the least dates in the diary!) holds a vital role in our lives both as individuals and as a church. The prophet Elijah, sitting in the mouth of a cave waiting to hear God’s voice, listened hard through wind and earthquake and fire, but it wasn’t until the silence came that he finally heard the Lord speak (1 Kings 19: 11-13). Sometimes it’s in quieter times, when the noise and busy-ness of everyday life stops for a moment, that our minds and hearts are able to focus all the more on God.

Holy days indeed.

I hope and pray that, however you spend your July and August, you will have time to rest and relax in the love of God.

Enjoy your holy days!