Dear Friends,
I've just started listening to the audiobook of John Mark Comer's Ruthless Elimination of
Hurry, which has been recommended to me by many people in recent years.
JMC is a former pastor of a large church who openly shares his struggles with burnout. He
traces how the town clock, then the lightbulb, then the smartphone have each put pressure
on us to hurry through life, constantly checking for notifications, and neglecting the natural,
God-given rhythms built into the day. Christian writer Dallas Willard called hurry "the great
enemy of spiritual life in our day", and Corrie ten Boom put it even more pointedly, saying, "If
the devil can't make you sin, he'll make you busy." Full disclosure, friends: I am busy and
often very hurried, but I really am working on making more unhurried space for God!
In contrast to this world’s demands to constantly do more, consume more, and scroll more,
Jesus himself says simply, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give
you rest." Each of us is invited to walk slowly with Jesus as He did. Each of us is not only
invited but instructed to take sabbath moments just as He did.
This summer, I want to encourage you to accept that invitation. May you find time to walk
slowly with Jesus, discovering the unhurried rhythms of grace, and trusting God with the
things we often feel desperate to control.
I'd love you to join us for Alpha, which begins on Tuesday 18 August, 6-8pm in the Belhaven
Hall. Each week we'll step away from the busyness of life to share a meal and explore
questions about Jesus, faith, and the church, with good food and good company. Let me
know if you’d like to join us or if you’ve any questions. There’s a place for you.
In the meantime, may God give you rest and deep peace.
Every blessing,
Alastair