Those of you who can remember June 11 last year will remember that I mentioned I am writing a novel. At that time Ihad written about 9,000 words. Since then I have written about 100 more words. This is not good progress!
So I have decided that next week I will take two days’ leave and will spend the time working on my novel. It seemed self-indulgent when I first suggested the idea to Sally but she encouraged me to do it. I am really looking forward to it. I am hoping that the weather may be kind to me and I can set up outside in the garden, but even if I am confined to quarters in my study the opportunity to spend two days being creative with words and using my imagination is really attractive to me.
Since moving back to the real world of ministry from the rarified atmosphere of Baptist House I have been preparing at least one sermon a week. Those of you who do not have the privilege of having a colleague to share the pulpit with will be saying, “Big deal” or something like that, but this is actually the first time I have had to do this. In my first church I had a Senior Minister who would do about 2/3 of the sermons – and rightly so – I loved listening to him. I also shared the 1/3 with another minister and then later with a student minister. Those of you who do not have the privilege of having been in that position will be saying, “Are you complaining?”
No, I am not complaining. I was blessed immensely in that church, and also at Baptist House. But there is something wonderful about diving into the Bible each week to prepare a sermon that is the next in the series. There is something refreshing about frequently asking for God’s help to discern what he wants to say. There is something invigorating about seeking to be creative and communicate God’s truth in ways that people will find engaging and winsome. Alongside my own personal devotions I find that God speaks to me through my preparation (and sometimes through the preaching too!). I would be worried if he didn’t – if I haven’t heard him how can I expect anyone else to?
What’s this got to do with writing a novel? Well, each week I am writing at least one sermon of about 2,000 words. On average at the moment I am preaching at least 2/3 of the time. So that’s 2/3 x 48 weeks (allowing for holidays) x 2 services x 2000 words = 128,000 words a year. That’s several novels! That’s also why my novel has not grown much in the past year. I am considering the two days next week as a precious time to be cherished, as a short moment in which I can allow my creative juices to flow in a different way. I am not expecting to have finished the novel by the end of Tuesday, but I am hoping that I will have written more than 100 words!
We all need to find time to be refreshed. It may seem self-indulgent (and is if that’s all we ever do) but we need to find time to do things that energise us, things we enjoy, ways of using the God-given talents and personality that we have. That is the essence of Sabbath – a day free of work in which we are re-created by recreation. What will you do?
A chicken went into a library. It went up to the counter and said, “Buk, buk.”
The librarian gave it a book and the chicken tucked it under its wing and scuttled back out of the door.
An hour later the chicken was back. It went up to the counter and again said, “Buk, buk.”
The librarian gave it another book and the chicken tucked it under its wing and scuttled back out of the door.
One hour later the chicken returned. It saw the librarian stacking books on the shelves so went over and said, “Buk, buk.”
The librarian gave it a book, which it tucked under its wing. The chicken turned around and headed out of the door.
Curious about what was happening the librarian followed the chicken out of the door, across the road, down the high street, into the park, through the park and down to the pond. At the pond the librarian saw the chicken walk up to a frog and drop the book on top of the others.
“Buk, buk!” said the chicken.
The frog looked at the book and then at the chicken. “Reddit!”
nukelearfishing 
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