‘O thou who passest thro' our valleys in Thy strength, curb thy fierce steeds, allay the heat That flames from their large nostrils! thou, O Summer, Oft pitched'st here thy goldent tent, and oft Beneath our oaks hast slept, while we beheld With joy thy ruddy limbs and flourishing hair’

Summer is here (you can tell that by the tropical temperatures!) and July brings school sports days, balmy cricket matches, summer fetes…oh and caravans on the A303. If we are not careful, we have our weekends all tied up and there is no time for pottering around the garden edging the lawn and clipping the roses. And no time for sitting around the table with our friends and families, enjoying life.

Sunday in particular, according to tradition, should be a day of rest, a day when we wake up and there is nothing in the diary except the instruction 'enjoy your day'

The fourth commandment is this: ‘Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day, six days shalt thou labour and do all that thou hast to do, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God. In it thou shalt do no manner of work, thou and thy son and thy daughter, thy man-servant and they maid servant’ etc.

What is lovely about that ancient translation is that it incorporates the whole family; the adults, the children, the servants……no servants I hear you cry?….well, just think Downtown Abbey. Now, I know that this commandment is easier said than done, and there are those things which have to be done on a Sunday or they will never get done. What we can do is simple, try to keep Sunday special. My children call it family day, they know that once I have come back from church, whatever we do, we do it together. Its a time for us all to enjoy being with our God, to enjoy our homes, our friends and family, a day to share a meal together without panicking about who has to go out at what time, a Sabbath day.

Long warm days… The pace of life slows… A time for picnics and rest in the shade… Lord, help me to rest awhile in the cooling shade of your presence. Slow down my restless heart and fill me with gentle compassion for all your people. Amen.

God bless your lazy, sunny, summer, Sunday afternoons x Chloe