Start:Stop - In praise of stop

Bible reading

‘Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work — you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it.’ (Exodus 20. 8 - 11)

Meditation

Micah Purnell is a Graphic Designer and Conceptual Artist who is currently showing new work at St James & Emmanuel in Manchester. In Praise Of Stop is an exhibition which reflects on the theme of Sabbath as Resistance by exploring 'the practice of the fourth commandment in a contemporary age.' The series includes thought-provoking aphorisms such as ‘Nothing takes practice’, ‘Switch off to connect’, ‘Thou shalt not prepare for tomorrow’ and ‘Everything comes from nothing’.

In a similar vein is the book written by Stephen Cottrell, the Bishop of Chelmsford, which is entitled ‘Do Nothing to Change Your Life: Discovering What Happens When You Stop.’ In this generous, life-affirming book, full of practical wisdom, Stephen Cottrell invites us to slow down and stop … and breathe. He asks, ‘When was the last time you had a real day off? Ditched the 'to-do' lists? Switched off the phone? Had a lie-in? Sat in the bath until the water went cold?’ Most of us, he suggests, live at break-neck speed. Busy lives - work, family, friends, endless tasks - leave us with little time to sleep, never mind stopping and reflecting. We urgently need to learn to nurture our inner slob. As Isaiah 30:15 says, ‘In return and rest you shall be saved.’

By running Start:Stop once a week we are seeking to suggest that even a little rest or short breaks on a regular basis can be a life-saver in a frantic world where our endless tasks can easily consume us 24-7. As well as stopping for ten minutes of quiet reflection once a week, why not also, once a week, view an art exhibition, listen to a recital or take communion in your lunch break – all opportunities to stop and reflect that we, and other churches, offer regularly? As Micah Purnell says, doing nothing takes practice and, when we slow down, stop and breathe by doing nothing, we are practising the fourth commandment in our contemporary age.

Prayer

Lord God, we ask you to be our Pace Setter, enabling us not to rush. Make us stop and rest for quiet intervals and provide us with images of stillness which restore our serenity. Let us do nothing to change our life and discover what happens when we stop.

Leads us in ways of efficiency, through calmness of mind; for your guidance is peace. Even though we have a great many things to accomplish each day, enable us not to fret for your presence is with us; your timelessness and all-importance will keep us in balance. Let us do nothing to change our life and discover what happens when we stop.

Prepare refreshment and renewal in the midst of our activity, by anointing our heads with your oils of tranquillity. May our cup of joyous energy overflow, as harmony and effectiveness become the fruit of our hours, as we walk in the pace of our Lord and dwell in your house for ever. Let us do nothing to change our life and discover what happens when we stop.

Blessing

The Lord is my Pace Setter, I shall not rush. He makes me stop and rest for quiet intervals. He provides me with images of stillness which restore my serenity. He leads me in ways of efficiency,
through calmness of mind; and his guidance is peace. Even though I have a great many things to accomplish each day, I will not fret, for his presence is here. His timelessness, his all-importance will keep me in balance. He prepares refreshment and renewal in the midst of my activity, by anointing my head with his oils of tranquility, my cup of joyous energy overflows. Surely harmony and effectiveness shall be the fruit of my hours, for I shall walk in the pace of my Lord, and dwell in his house for ever. May those blessings of God almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, rest upon you and remain with you now and always. Amen.

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The Harbour Lights - Five Senses.