Holidays are holy-days

Holiday season is here. Maybe you’ve been away already, or are going sometime over August? Or perhaps you have something later in the year to look forward to? Or maybe for you, the holiday is the break from the routine of school – a time to enjoy a different pace and rhythm to life? You probably know that the word ‘holiday’ derives from ‘holy day’ – originally, ‘holy days’ were a day off from the regular routine of work – a day set apart to rest, to celebrate an occasion in the Christian calendar, and to give thanks to God. Obvious examples are Christmas and Easter. Over time, ‘Holy day’ became ‘holiday’ – to describe any time taken off from work for rest and leisure. The focus was less on God, and more on leisure. Now, of course, being the good “whole-life disciples” that we are, we understand that every day is a ‘holy day’ – every day is a day set apart for God....a day where we get to live out our whole-life worship. We know that we can sing, along with the Psalmist, that ‘this is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it’ every day. But that said, I wonder if there is a temptation or tendency to somehow see holidays as in some way, less ‘spiritual’ – as a break from our normal life, which includes church and faith? Whether consciously or sub-consciously, we relegate holidays to the ‘secular’ drawer of our lives. So let me encourage you...if you are enjoying a ‘holiday’ of some sort, why not receive it...see it...celebrate it...as ‘holy time’ – God’s gift to you....of rest...of a different rhythm...of new and different experiences...of time with friends...of sleeping in...or country walks....a time of restoration and refreshment...an unhurried time of extended sabbath. Holidays are holy-days, because every day is a gift from God. Receive it. Enjoy it. Praise God in it.