Tower and Town, August 2017 (view the full edition)Clergy LetterGod saw everything that he had made, and indeed it was very good. I was looking for a holiday-time prayer that would inspire us all to pray for our friends and neighbours as they go on holiday. But instead I found this poem by Neil Paynter. It reminded me of the simple joy of standing on a beach, watching the waves and taking time to see my life as part of a bigger picture: God’s picture. God bless days offwith no one to call back but oystercatchers and herring gulls Nothing to pick up but messages left in the landscape ... No one to get in touch with but myself again No deliveries to pick up but what the waves leave at my feet ... No details to get lost in but the business of a rock pool Nothing to follow up but the path of a shore-crab ... Nothing to note but the taste and texture and salty, sharp smell of the day. God bless days off and time to retreat into Time to discover new energy to take back into work ... Your idea of a perfect ‘holy day’, a day off that will recharge your batteries, and give you perspective on your daily life, may well be very different. But whether it’s a day’s shopping, a round of golf, or a BBQ in the garden, I pray that you will be blessed with at least one during the holiday season. Why not pray the same for your friends and neighbours, colleagues and family?
Poem adapted from ‘God Bless Days Off’ by Neil Paynter in A Book of Blessings Ruth Burgess (2001, Wild Goose Publications) Miri Keen |