Barb Totterdell September 30th 2018 ~ Keeping Jesus at the centre

It’s school holidays. It’s also a time of the year when a number of our congregation take the opportunity to travel. These can be times of busyness or rest, times that offer a chance to be refreshed, or times to be distracted. They may present the chance to connect with one another and, in some deeper ways, with God; or it may be harder to maintain our rhythms of Bible reading, prayer and connection during these seasons.It’s important that our rest and recreation has Jesus at the centre of it. How does that look for you and what would help you in this? In the days following writing this, I’m spending some time at New Norcia and am looking forward to some quietness, some walking, some reading, some praying and some sleeping. I expect that will be re-creating for me. Recently I listened to a podcast about a book called Travelling the World as Citizens of Heaven by Stephen Liggins, which aims to help Christians of all ages reflect on what it means to keep Jesus at the centre as they travel and as they plan their travel. I’m looking forward to reading it and would commend it to you.These weeks are also times when members of our congregation are spending more time with their non-Christian family and friends, or are leading on camps, sharing the good news of Jesus with young people. A number of our congregation are away with friends. Sally Howe, Lynn Wadley and Rosalie Wadley are leading on the SU Kids-in-the-Kitchen Camp this coming week, and Kieran Carr is leading on the CRU West Spring Leadership Camp (with the rest of the Carr family also there). Seven of our young people have been on camps this last week or are on camps this coming week.These are such good opportunities to be intentional in how we are living a three dimensional life - one that has Jesus at the centre and is intentional in living UP connecting with God, IN connecting with each other and OUT connecting with the world. We can utilise the different seasons of the year, however they look for us individually, to engage in this three dimensional life, often in some different ways but always looking for the opportunity for us to join God in what He is inviting us into in the places and season we are in.What might it look like for you to be living in each of those dimensions in this season, whatever is happening for you over these weeks? How do you keep Jesus at the centre during your rest and recreation, as well as in the midst of whatever your regular life looks like?Let’s also pray for each other over this time, whether we are at home and work in our normal routine, on holidays, or away on camp, that we would keep Jesus at the centre and be open to what God is doing and joining with Him in that. Blessings,Barb