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When people say they have booked up for the summer they usually mean that they are off somewhere sunny and warm for a couple of weeks.

Well… I’m taking an altogether different approach!

Again, sorry for the lack of blogging but deadlines are approaching.

In other news, for a bit of a distraction me and the wife saw Inception last week.  Brilliant film.  Loved everything abut it.  Go see it at the cinema (unless you have a massive TV then you can wait for the DVD).

Now, back to work.

It’s summertime.  A time when people go on holiday.  A time when people stop working for a week or two to rest and relax.

The compilers of the lectionary have decided in their wisdom that Luke 10:38-42 should be our Gospel focus for this week, the story of Martha and Mary.

The two sisters of Lazarus live in Bethany and often welcome Jesus into their home.  On this occasion we read:

At the Home of Martha and Mary

³⁸ As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.

³⁹ She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.

⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!

⁴¹ Martha, Martha, the Lord answered, you are worried and upset about many things,

⁴² but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.

I wonder what that tells us about our lives?

I know people who will rightly argue that Martha was doing the right thing.  If she hadn’t made a fuss then perhaps the complaints that day would have been that there was no food to eat!  Hospitality is hugely important and it takes work.

But I wonder how often we forget the purpose of hospitality, to welcome people and make them feel welcomed?

I know that sometimes when we have guests whoever cooks can spend more time in the kitchen that with our friends.  Perhaps that’s why open plan living is so popular.  But being stuck in the kitchen can feel like missing out.  Especially when there is good conversation on the go.

The reason we are stuck in the kitchen is that we are trying to make an impression.  We don’t choose something quick and easy to cook for our guests.  We try to impress them with our speciality dish.

I wonder if they would be happier with takeaway and our company instead?  I wrote recently about our culture of availability and how it gives the impression that relationships are important to us when our availability often gets in the way of good relationships.

Mary chooses time with Jesus and Jesus seems to support that choice.

Perhaps Martha should have ordered pizza and taken a seat?

My name is Stewart and I have a problem.

Over at We Live Simply Jonathan is thinking about ‘downtime’.

His thoughts really made me think.

We probably all have a sense that we are more available than we used to be.  The mobile phone sorted that out.  But the smart phone has taken our availability to a whole new level.

Email on your phone so people can contact you anytime, and expect you to answer.

Twitter.  Facebook.  FourSquare.  All designed to keep you ‘in touch’ but as this article on Life Hack suggests there is a huge downside.

…what’s actually happening in the life of many  professionals is not amusing at all.  Their companies  have taken the opportunity given them by technology and the recession to convince employees to spend more  “down time” doing work.  At the same time, they send a subtle message that  “staying in touch” with work also means being available 24 hours  a day for 52 weeks of the year.

Converting “Down Time” Nowadays, it seems, everyone with a smartphone has gotten into the habit of continuously trying to convert “down time” into useful, work time.  Here are some everyday examples of ways in which many professionals are converting their “down time.”

• - a manager driving on the highway at 70 m.p.h. sends a text to his team  (while spilling hot coffee into his lap)
• - an engineer in a meeting that’s going slowly, checks her email and replies (missing two action items assigned to her)
• - an accountant watching his child play baseball on Saturday morning closes a deal in the fourth inning via cellphone (and lies to his  son about seeing him make his first catch ever)
• - a supervisor attending 3 days of personal productivity training is unable to leave her smartphone untouched for more than 15 minutes (and later complains that  the trainer was ineffective)
• - a consultant speaking to a client on the phone remembers that  he should have sent an urgent message to a colleague, and quietly does so (even as the client notes the sudden lapse in attention and interprets it as a lack of interest in continuing the relationship)
• - a hard driving attorney once again takes his smartphone to the  urinal where he can multi-task (… and is noticed by his boss’ husband who happened to borrow his smartphone just five minutes earlier)
• - a family cheers in unison when executive-Mom forgets her  smartphone at home 5 hours into the annual vacation (and falls into  despair when FedEx delivers it the next day)

I recently asked a client: “How did your big presentation to the executive team go?”  She responded: “OK… but the CEO spent the entire hour on his (expletive)  Blackberry.”

This was bad news for my client, whose project was now being viewed by the CEO as another chunk of his “down time.”

Rest is essential.  Spending time with the people you love is too.  These people need you to be available to them too.

For many people reading this your life, like mine, will be complicated by the fact that you work from home.  People call at mealtimes because they know you will be there.  People expect you to reply to email because they know you can pick it up anytime.  And we feed those expectations because we pick up the phone and answer the emails at 2am.  We like the versatility and the chance to arrange our days but we need to switch it off sometimes.

Working from home also brings isolation.  Twitter and Facebook give the feeling of company.  But like at work when you might chat to your colleagues over coffee there comes a time when you just need to get on with work.  That’s why you’re there after all.  The same is true when working at home.

So, I’ll be turning my work email off at 5pm and on at 9am.  It will stay off at the weekend unless I’m working.  When I’m off I won’t be looking and when I’m with my wife or my kids I’m going to try to keep my phone in my pocket unless I’m taking photos or using it to enhance our day.

So, what do you think?

As if the World Cup, Wimbledon and the fast approaching Open golf aren’t enough to keep you going in sporting action I’ve become hooked on something else… cycling.

The Tour de France started a couple of days ago and I’m totally engrossed already.  It’s fascinating.  The tactics, the personal battles and the massive crashes like yesterday’s pile up a few hundred meters from the end of the stage make it a truly brilliant watch.

This is Lance Armstrong’s last Tour so it’s worth a watch just for that, but Brit Bradley Wiggins is in the hunt for the yellow jersey and somewhat controversial Mark Cavendish is bidding to capture the green sprinters jersey after his amazing 6 stage wins last year.

For UK viewers you can find it live on Eurosport or catch the highlights on ITV4 every night.

Last weekend something small but hugely significant happened.  The first Solas Festival took place at Wiston near Biggar.

Festivals come and go, but this one is, I think, the one that Scotland has been waiting for.  A place to share ideas, to hear deep thoughts, to sing a new song and hear a different melody.

Solas is inspired by Greenbelt but has a very Scottish flavour, both in the words and songs.

Scotland needs a space like this.  If you missed it this time then make sure you get there next year.  It could just be what you’ve been looking for.

Off to Solas tomorrow.  Hope to see some of you there!!!