The dream is ended; this is the morning

There is something about the coming of summer that lifts my mood to a place of expectation and hopefulness. Summer is a time to relax. To try and slow down a little. A time to recharge the batteries of life. To sleep longer and awake to fresh opportunities and possibilities. The theme chosen for the next two months is “The dream is ended: this is the morning.” It is only part of a quote from the last chapter of CS Lewis’s book The last Battle. The fuller version of the quote is as follows; “The term is over; the holidays have begun. The dream is ended: this is the morning. I love the idea that the school of life is out; the pressure is off; its time to be yourself to kick off your shoes and enjoy the gift of life itself. One of my favourite songs is written by Mike Scott of the Waterboys fame. In the song Church not made with hands, Scott sings the open lyric that paints the picture of a new start; a glorious new creation. He sings; Bye bye shadowlands The term is over And all the holidays have begun It is my prayer as you engage with the material this summer that you will find yourself kicking off your shoes and re-enegising your spiritual life. We say we believe in the resurrection. In the creeds we are proclaiming our belief that God has already started to build his new creation. The dream is over; this is the morning. Lets make hay and have fun while the sunshines! Each day we will follow a version of a generic theme. Sundays we will think about re-creation. Mondays we will concentrate on the importance of relationships. Tuesdays will be all about giving thanks for the things we have. Wednesdays we will concentrate on the gift of sport. Thursdays we have set aside to focus on the idea of ‘wellbeing’. Fridays will invite us to consider the important place Art plays in all of our lives. Saturdays will invite us to reflect on the impact Sport or Art Festivals can have on peace and justice.