Are you now singing the jingle? 🤣
I haven't had a Mars bar this week but have worked (a little bit), rested and enjoyed (played!) during a week away from home.
We spent 4 nights in Pembrokeshire with Andrew's family, but also caught up with my sister and brother in law, who unbeknown to either of us, were staying about 20 mins away from where we were.
We then moved to Somerset staying near Frome, visiting the White Horse Landmark, Warminster (which was lovely), Frome (we didn't like it as much), Axbridge (where it was lovely to catch up with minister friends) and Cheddar Gorge (my first visit).
This morning we went to church at Axbridge to celebrate Pentecost) - although there were not many of us, it was a lovely service led by our friend Meg.
Throughout the week we have walked, seen the sea, sat in Churches and enjoyed the scenery of Welsh and Somerset mountains and countryside.
I've often wandered why it is that some scenes make me stop and wonder, not really being able to put it into words other than Wow or it brings me peace...but in the book I'm currently reading Mark Scarlata (Sabbath Rest) quotes Hans Urs Von Balthasar who talks of a relationship between God's beauty in creation and our own creative work, and in order to perceive God's beauty we must understand its 2 aspects- dorm (or shape) and splendour.
Scarlata writes:
Imagine that you are standing at the top of a mountain as the sun is rising. You see the form of the landscape taking shape as the light breaks over the horizon. The mist rises, the trees begin to appear in ever greater detail as the distant peaks come out from the shadows. As the light strengthens so too does your perception of the scene as you take notice of different aspects of shape and colour. The splendour of nature's display causes you to pause as it captives you, turns your focus away from yourself, and draws you outwards with the desire to connect to something greater. In witnessing this sublime moment you recognise the glory that fills creation.
.......we might stand in awe and wonder of such beauty, or we might experience a profound sense of peace knowing that God cares so deeply for us.
........ to experience God's beauty, doesn't mean we need to be standing on the mountain tops ...(we can be drawn too or mesmerised by all sorts of God's creation) ...Whatever it is, the beauty we experience... turns us from ourselves and draws us into an experience of God's glory. We stop and for a moment in time we break from our normal lives to reflect on a deeper sense of truth that we witness in the world around us.
So that's what I'm doing when I look as if I'm starting into space..... having a Sabbath moment. Maybe I need to do it more often.
