Leisure is a state of mind

Seventy-five years ago, in July 1938, the Holidays With Pay Act gave some 11m UK workers the right to one week’s paid holiday, plus bank holidays, each year. Today most have at least 28 days plus bank holidays. Yet according to the Office for National Statistics, in 2011 only 15 per cent of adults said they were highly satisfied with their work-life balance; about 36% had “medium satisfaction” and almost half “low satisfaction”.
Does that mean we are fed up with work and want yet more leisure? Or are the stresses of austerity getting to us? Summer is a good time to reflect on how to make the most of leisure.

Leisure in the Bible

Recuperation Leisure is built into the fabric of the world. A weekly day off work is essential for wellbeing and is commanded by God (Exodus 20:8-11). In addition, the Old Testament sanctioned numerous “bank holidays” and “wakes weeks” which had a religious basis but were times of relaxation, feasting and fun (e.g. Leviticus 23). And when work demands increased, Jesus took his disciples for a short break (Mark 6:30-32).

Enjoyment  Paul says God gave us everything “to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17); we can’t enjoy things we don’t make time for. The OT wisdom literature advocates taking pleasure in all things (Ecclesiastes 3:12,13; 5:18-20). Jesus attended weddings and contributed wine (John 2:1-11). He went to dinner parties so often that he was accused of enjoying himself too much (Luke 7:34). However, the Bible frowns on the self-indulgent extremes of hedonistic pleasure-seekers (Amos 6:4-6; Luke 12:19; Ephesians 5:18). Pleasure is a by-product of leisurely pursuits; when it’s sought for its own sake it’s subject to the law of diminishing returns.

Reflection The Sabbath was intended to take our mind off daily existence so that we stop to focus on the big things of life. While that includes remembering and worshipping our creator, there’s more to reflect on than that. The songs of the Bible express wonder at the physical creation (Psalm 19; 104). Solomon’s wisdom was based on leisurely observation of, and reflection on, the natural order (1 Kings 4:32-34). And Jesus told us to “consider the lilies” as we contemplate life’s priorities (Matthew 6:28). In our busyness we can lose our appreciation of, and connectedness with, the world around us.

Leisure and the church

The church has a chequered record on leisure. Tertullian (2^nd century AD) said pleasure turns people away from God. Augustine (4^th century) said eating was sinful if it was done for pleasure. Calvin, by contrast, in the 16^th century said that God gave us food both for sustenance and enjoyment. Medieval Catholicism had 115 holy days (holidays) each year, many of which were observed as and feasts, but as urbanisation increased the numbers were reduced. John Milton in the 17^th century saw education as a useful preparation for both life and leisure.

The Puritans encouraged leisure pursuits but hedged them with many fussy rules.¹ Some of these persisted in conservative Christian groups well into the mid-20^th century. Today, perhaps, the pendulum has swung the other way and restraint isn’t always regarded as cool. ”Having a good time” can mean throwing off restraints; drunkenness and “recreational” sex and drugs are accepted as normal. Excess or misuse devalues that which is intrinsically good.

Making the most of leisure today

Leisure is time given to doing what we choose to do, as opposed to what we have to do. In a 24/7 society where leisure is an “industry”, it’s not easy to set aside some time, let alone a whole day, for rest, reflection and enjoyment. Maybe some things can be left out of (or left for) a “sabbath” day (not necessarily a Sunday), just to make it feel more restful. But leisure isn’t simply about doing (or not doing) things, nor about set holidays. It’s an attitude of mind.

Psychologists talk about “mindfulness”: “a state of being that focuses on what we have at this moment” and remembering that “I am not a human doing, I am a human being”.² Mindfulness is a deliberate pause, a kind of meditation, in which we become conscious of our breathing, our existence, our surroundings. It’s only a short step from this to Christian contemplation, which focuses on the presence, gifts and attributes of God. Even a few minutes’ such reflection can calm and relax us: “A poor life this if, full of care, / we have no time to stand and stare.”³ Or time to pray to and worship the source of that life: “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

Mindfulness can turn unpaid home-making from a chore to a meaningful activity. Think of it as a service: “Who sweeps a room, as for thy laws, / makes that and the action fine.”⁴ Or use it to stimulate wonder and gratitude: look around at all you have – the vacuum cleaner included – and be thankful for it, for the human ingenuity that designed it, the electric supply that powers it. Or adjust the definition of “necessity”: I don’t have to cut the grass but the garden is nicer and more enjoyable if I do.

 

People with young children may have to sacrifice solo leisure pursuits for a while, but playing in the park is also a leisure pursuit: whether we enjoy it depends entirely on how we approach it. Retirement can make everything blur into a continuous activity. Making a distinction between say cleaning or gardening (and calling it “work”) and going to the theatre or for a walk (calling that “leisure”) can bring a degree of balance and rhythm into our life.

If we’re not careful leisure can become another tiring round of activity. Like the archetypal tourist hurrying from site to sight, we collect experiences but don’t give time reflect on them, to allow them to soak in, as it were, and enrich our “soul”. Some people find it hard to switch off from work; many admit to checking work emails on holiday. Even social media can clutter our leisure. A survey by eBay found that two out of five women cannot go for more than an hour without checking their phone or tablet for messages; 48% have taken a call while on a date; and 17% said they had taken a call while making love.⁵ We hate to miss anything.

Doing nothing is not a waste of time. Doing nothing in a mindless, sleep-walking way is. Leisure is a precious gift; unwrap it carefully, enjoy it mindfully, and be thankful!   

Think and talk

1.  Keep a record of how you spend your time each day for a week, in 15 minute segments. Include sleep, personal care, housework, meals, commuting, work, family activity, hobbies, outside activities, TV – everything that takes time. Where might you need to make some adjustments?
2.  What can you do to mentally and physically separate “work”, “chores” and “leisure”, giving adequate time for all?
3.  Give yourself time to look up the Bible references above, and reflect on what message they may have for you.

References

1.  Historical information is taken from Leland Ryken, Work and leisure, IVP 1989, chs 3&4.
2.  Andrew Bienkowski & Mary Akers, The greatest gift, Simon & Schuster 2009, pp. 100,103.
3.  William Henry Davies
4.  George Herbert, “Teach me, my God and King”.
5.  Reported in The Times, 15 July 2013

 

Sweeten someone's day!

Here’s an obvious food fact to add to all the rest we get: you receive more energy from honey than you do from vinegar.

And what’s true in the physical realm is also true in the emotional and spiritual realms: people generally achieve more when their lives are sweetened by encouragement than when they are embittered by criticism.

Encouragement raises the spirits and motivates the mind, and is said to increase productivity and stimulate creativity. Criticism does the opposite.

Demoralised workers

In a recent Channel 4 Undercover Boss programme (1 July) Phil Couchman, CEO of DHL UK found many staff felt undervalued, and as a result were tempted to leave. They were under pressure to perform to (sometimes unrealistic) targets, but no-one appeared to appreciate their achievements. He vowed to remedy the situation.

Years ago the former Secretary General of the UN, Dag Hammarskjöld, told of a conscientious worker whose behaviour had an adverse effect on everyone. When things came to a head the person said, “Why did you never help me? You knew I always felt you were against me. And fear and insecurity drove me further along the course for which you now condemn me. One day, I remember, I was so happy: one of you said something that I’d produced was quite good.”

Hammarskjöld admitted, “We had allowed our criticisms to stop us from giving him a single word of acknowledgement, and in this way had barred every road to improvement.”¹ Criticism without creative support may only increase bitterness and negativity. It leaves a sour taste. It’s a sign of self-centredness, and a lack of compassion and empathy.

But that, according to a head teacher quoted in a recent survey, is how we are training the next generation to live. “We train children to be successful, ruthless, greedy and selfish; our virtues are money, fame and looks. We do not reward kindness, do not value loyalty, do not care about courage.”² That’s vinegar. Here’s some honey.

Encouraged ministers

John Coleridge Paterson went as a missionary to Melanesia in the 19^th century. He planted churches and trained local people to be pastors and evangelists, becoming the first bishop of the area. He was killed when he was mistaken for a slave trader, or in revenge for slave trading. But the church continued, because his ministry of encouragement had prepared and equipped others to serve God.  

Maybe he took as his example the apostle Barnabas. His name means “son of encouragement” and he lived up to it. He was the first person to trust Saul of Tarsus after the future apostle’s dramatic conversion on the Damascus road. Barnabas took the renamed Paul under his wing and helped him to grow in his new faith (Acts 9:26-27; 11:25-26). We wouldn’t have Paul’s teaching today if it hadn’t been for Barnabas’s patient mentoring.

Barnabas also turned John Mark from a failure to a success. Mark was the young man who fled from the Garden of gethsemane when Jesus was arrested (Mark 14:51-52) – not an auspicious start. Later he joined Paul and Barnabas on a mission trip, but this proved too much for him as well and he went home (Acts 12:25, 13:13).

When Paul and Barnabas were setting out again, Barnabas wanted Mark to tag along. But Paul refused, and they split. Paul took Silas, and Barnabas went with Mark (Acts 15:36-41). We next hear of Mark near the end of Paul’s life, who tells Timothy, “Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is helpful to me in my ministry” (2 Timothy 4:11).

 

We don’t know what had happened in those intervening years. But clearly Barnabas’s patient encouragement turned Mark into a talented Christian who had something to offer Paul.

Spoon out the honey

So be generous with the honey and sparing with the vinegar! A few words of encouragement, a helping hand, some gentle guidance can do more than just sweeten someone’s day. It might have longer-term benefits too. In an age of austerity, the last thing we should be cutting is encouragement. It’s a source of growth and effectiveness.

Think and talk

1.  Read the story of Barnabas (references above) and try to imagine (or discuss) the scenarios. What sort of tensions would have been evident? What might other people have thought about him at the time, and how might he have coped with that?

2.  What practical advice about encouragement can you find in Isaiah 35:3-4; Romans 15:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:11; Hebrews 3:13, 10:25?

3.  What unchanging truths can we fall back on when we feel discouraged? See 2 Chronicles 32:6-7; 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17.

4.  Everywhere, there is pressure to perform, targets to reach. How can we help to inject some humanity and reasonableness into a world where people are often expected to behave like machines?   

References

1. Dag Hammarskjöld, Markings, Faber & Faber 1964, p.47
2. Quoted in the Sunday Times, 9 June 2013.

© Derek Williams 2013