Dear all,

This newsletter will cover the next fortnight since I will be taking some holiday next week.

I hope that you will also be taking some time out this summer – or if your time is not constrained by school holidays that you regularly make time for rest and recuperation.

Rest is in fact the second gift God gave us after life! If we follow through Genesis’ theological understanding of how the world was created and ordered - then the first thing humanity was given, after God’s life breath was breathed into them, was a day of rest. Yes God worked first and then rested – but humans rested first…

Now of course rest doesn’t necessarily mean not doing anything – but it does mean taking a significant chunk of time (dare I say at least a whole 24hrs every 144hrs) where you don’t do the thing you usually spend your days doing. This does get complicated if you are not in paid employment or indeed if you are in part time employment because the boundaries are much more blurred, and of course you may also be in a job which comes with huge responsibility for others or for an organisation – a responsibility which you cannot just put down easily. But it is still important to make space for a break from the daily grind – and I would argue it is even more vital in the case of the latter.

Then, because so many people were coming and going

that they did not even have a chance to eat, [Jesus] said to them,

“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” Mark 6:31

Human beings are not designed to never rest fully. We burn out. We become less capable. We become much more vulnerable. If we are made in the likeness of God we simply must take time to rest as God rested. And (ironically) it feels like harder work to rest sometimes than to simply keep working. But it is only easier right up until that moment when everything comes crashing down – sometimes with tragic consequences.

If the model of Genesis, the role model of God and the invitation of Jesus doesn’t convince you then I invite you to take a moment to imagine your favourite piece of music. The piece that always relaxes you, or makes you feel good, comforts you or energises you. Play it in your head now.

And now take out all the pauses between notes. Take out all the rests – even the ones that only last half a beat. That piece of music will be distorted beyond recognition – certainly beyond enjoyment! Beautiful music needs rest as much as it needs notes. Rest is written in to us. Our lives can become beautiful pieces of music bringing glory to God and blessing the world – but only when we play the rests as well as we play the notes.

News and Upcoming Events

Monthly in person prayer meeting Our St Philip’s Prayer Warriors are on zoom Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays praying for you, the church & the world but there is also something powerful about being together in person to pray. So, from next month Polly Macartney is going to head up a monthly prayer meeting to meet that need. The first one will be on Wednesday 18^th September at 7.30pm in church do pop it in your diary and make space to come along if you are able – even if it is just the once to try it out.

Making Sense of… St John’s Waterbeach lecture series. These are often excellent evenings with eminent guest speakers on various topics. To find the autumn series head to: Making Sense | St Johns Waterbeach

The first event will be Sunday 29^th September at 7pm - Making Sense of Environmental Theology with Dr Hilary Marlow, Vice-Mistress of Girton College, Cambridge.

Toilet Refurbishment these are tantalisingly near to completion – thanks for bearing with us as various toilets have been out of action. The end is in sight however and we hope they will all be back in use soon.

Opportunities

Church Set Up on a Sunday It turns out that this is not nearly so regular job as it used to be – in fact chair setting up is now needed perhaps once a month at the most. If you would be willing to join a group who can volunteer for this task, as and when it is needed, please get in touch. And thank you to those who have already done so!

Eco-Bite – our new green “nugget” each week:

We’ve just had a beautiful week with lots of sun and no rain – lovely for those of us who like our summers hot but not great for our water usage. Could you try to conserve water this summer by reducing your water consumption? Taking shorter showers, shutting off the water while you brush your teeth, watering plants with a watering can rather than a hose and gathering rainfall and using it to hydrate your plants are all great ways to reduce the amount of water we use on a daily basis.

Last Week’s sermon

Last week’s sermon: sermon 28.7.24.mp3

If you missed any of the last two months Psalm Sermon Series you can find them here:

The link to our sermon archive: St Philip's sermon archive

This Sunday 4^th August

8.30am – Reflective Holy Communion our bible readings this week will be Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15 and John 6:24-35

10.30am – All Age Worship

Next Sunday 11^th August

10.30am All Age Holy Communion our bible reading will be John 6.35, 41-51

If you can't attend church in person you can always use this Zoom link:

meeting ID: 976 3739 9129 and Passcode: 330714

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/97637399129?pwd=TGhKWWxOcWF1S242aVhrWDlJdUkxZz09

Prayers

If any of you have specific prayers you would like us to include in this newsletter do please get in touch.

Carol – the nan of Tracee Giddens’ children who has breast cancer and is facing an operation next week. Please pray for her speedy recovery and for all of them as they support her.

Please also pray for our Mission Partner this month:

Langham Partnership – Every church deserves a well-equipped pastor!

80% of pastors in the Majority World lack any formal training. Langham Partnership equip pastors around the world to preach God's Word .

Regular Weekly Services/Prayers to join:

Wednesday 12noon Reflective Holy Communion A quiet time to help find space and peace in the middle of the week.

Monday & Friday 8.30pm – Compline on zoom

Meeting ID: 836 5965 9953
Passcode: 749968
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83659659953?pwd=btP5AjGMu1s-dE_2W9T0MMFqnnPKSS.1

Wednesdays 7.00-7.30pm - Weekly Prayers on zoom: -

Meeting ID: 852 1105 2733 Password: 397987

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85211052733?pwd=OE52bm9NS1RtQVQ0ZytTc0xBZnVsUT09

Saturdays 8.15am - Morning Bible Discussion and Prayer on zoom:

Meeting ID: 143 338 655 Password: 824271