St Johns with St Barnabas

The holiday season is upon us once more! School’s out for summer.

Many long-awaited planned breaks are about to be embraced. It usually involves seeing us flee the drudgery of our routine and grim British weather (not this year though – two heatwaves already!). We look forward to long, luxurious hours aside pools and beaches amidst the plaintive cry of the gulls, the clanking of rigging on masts and the soft lapping of waves against the golden sands of the shore. Whether it’s Bournemouth, Corsica or Bognor – the holidays offer us a time of relaxation and restoration.

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Did you know, though, that our modern “holiday” comes from the Old English “haligdaeg,” which simply combined “halig” (“holy”) and “daeg” (“day”) into one word. Holidays were usually holy days. The pattern of holidays today still follows, largely, the holy day pattern. We have our holidays around Christmas, Easter and Whitsun (Pentecost) – especially if we’re tied to school holidays.

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The very idea of a break from routine for the purposes of rest, recovery and recreation has been in existence since the creation of the world. The institution of the Sabbath, modelled by God himself in creation, added as an obligation for our own good in the law of the Torah (one of the big 10 no less) speaks of the importance of holy days. “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy” (Exodus 20 v 8). Resting in the Lord, away from routine and work, has always been considered crucial.

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Holding onto the history of that word and that practice, also reminds us that holidays, whilst escaping routine, are not about escaping from God. We’re often very good at claiming the rest and recreation but frequently we’re less good at ensuring we do those things in the context of The Lord – keeping the holiday ‘holy’. Their very purpose was to encourage and facilitate our resting in Him, seeking Him, enjoying Him. This holy day season that is upon us should afford us the opportunity to do that too.

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As the sun shines and new destinations loom large, remember to hold onto the ‘holy’ in your holidays. There will be churches where you go; bless the Christians there with your presence. Church also continues through August in our own churches. Remember to embrace our opportunities and people too.

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The holidays can still be holy days. I encourage you to embrace the Lord and find refreshment and rest in Him. Let’s pray that we can keep our holidays holy days!