Busyness is not close to godliness

Elaine Storkey unpacks the biblical passages which show us that God intends for us to not only rest, but also enjoy our leisure time. She encourages us to see how opportunities to extend God’s kingdom can come from them too

For many years I was the director of the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity, whose home is the beautiful St Peter’s Church in the middle of London’s busy Oxford Street. In such a central location, round the corner from BBC Broadcasting House, our timetable was packed. We ran courses accredited by the University of London, provided training for lay people, produced a magazine, did broadcasts with the BBC and hosted many Christian groups who joined our autumn and summer schools. As executive director my life was very busy, with responsibilities that stretched way beyond the building. After we were invited to run our Christian education programmes across the UK and into Europe, regular travelling and preaching became part of my job.