Special Day
It’s holiday time, and, following a time of not being able to travel far, especially overseas, there is a great deal of activity, people going on holiday, near and far away.
Do you remember where you were on 24 June 1995? Well, Miriam and I were in a hotel i Aqaba, the outside temperature being 44C. On that very day the Rugby World Cup Final was being held in Johannesburg. But that was not why we went to Jordan. As preparation for leading pilgrims from Wales to Israel and Jordan in 1996 we were driven by Mohammed in a luxuriuous taxi, beginning from Aman with Aqaba being the final port of call.
During the journey we spent a lot of time with Mohammed and had some interesting and revealing conversations. One evening I asked him how many days of holiday he would have annually. He replied 52. Calculating that he got more that seven weeks holiday was no mean surprise. Then he explained that he got one day a week holiday; Friday was his holiday, or really ‘holy day’, which is the root of our ‘holiday’.
Don’t we also get 52 days holidays or holy days every year? Isn’t that what Sunday is? A day of rest from daily duties.
As well as enjoying a break of one or two weeks during the summer, enjouy the other 52 days o holidays you get this year.
Reading. Exodus 20 vv 8-11
Prayer.
We turn to you, O Lord our God, who created everything in six days and rested on the seventh day. You ask us to keep one day special each week, and since when Jesus ros from the grave your people have kept he first day of the weel as that special day. In your wisdom you call upon us to rest, as you did in the beginning. Help us to count our blesssing and give to you our praise and thanks. Thank you Lord. Amen.