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Rector's Letter, June 2005 Dear Friends, Isn’t it strange, we have more opportunities for leisure activities than ever before – from hang-gliding to exotic holidays, evening classes for all manner of things – so many opportunities to experience and enjoy things that for the most part would have been far out of the reach of the vast majority of people in times gone past when, if folk were lucky, they might manage a week by the seaside with bucket and spade, hoping to get at least one or two sunny days. Prior to that great luxury, most folk would maybe get Sunday and religious holidays off. Strangely, though, alongside all our opportunities for the enjoyment of leisure, the Protestant work ethic still seems to be alive and kicking. Britain, according to various pundits, seems to have the longest working hours in Europe without achieving any more. The majority of people ‘in work’ seem to be overworked. Yet to go back a century or so, people worked very long, hard hours in factories and coalmines, and prior to that working the land was no picnic. Earning a living in previous ages could be harsh, brutal even, and life expectancy short. So what’s gone wrong? Why is there this general feeling of pressure and stress, when things are undoubtedly easier? I’m not aware that the ‘pursuit of happiness’ is actually making us any happier. Perhaps we are still trying to drive ourselves and others too hard in both work and leisure pursuits. Perhaps we bring to leisure the same intensity as to work – the work ethic spills over into whatever it is we are doing. What brought these thoughts to my mind? It was our ‘skip’ party and a chance remark by one of the participants. About 20 of us removed rubbish – a motley but lovely and enthusiastic crew. We had a task and all mucked in (literally in some cases as we’d had problems with the sewage) to do what we could. Some moved mountains; for others of us it was probably more like molehills; some fed and watered us – a company of guides even sang as we worked – not planned that last touch (they’d hired the hall that day). Somehow, although we were working, we were happy. At least that was my impression. I’m maybe just looking through rose-tinted spectacles, as I love a clear out of rubbish and I was so glad to see the back of it. The remark to which I referred, was something I interpreted as ‘to work is to pray’. I think it comes from St Benedict. Perhaps we try to separate aspects of our lives too rigidly. After all, for me to cook is to work, while for David it is a leisure activity. For me gardening is a pleasure and recreation; for others it’s a chore. A monastic order in which all our activities are in balance and in which prayer is both time set aside for that purpose but also part of the rest of the day seems to me a way of living that is ideal. Jesus was constantly under pressure as he went about his ministry but didn’t seem to be in a state of high tension. I don’t mean we should all ‘get us to a nunnery’, but a more healthy balance of work, leisure, rest and prayer would benefit our society in general. Janice |