As this weekend is the last in July, many, both families and single people, will be setting off or jetting off on holiday.

Many will be sitting in motorway traffic jams or sleeping in airport lounges and booking halls, and will no doubt be having second thoughts about the wisdom of going on holiday at all. But even though many will find that holidays are arguably more stressful than being at home, it is nevertheless important that the opportunity is taken to have a change of scenery and environment.

Scripture has much to say about the importance of both work and rest (holiday), stressing the need to work six days and rest on the seventh. But, of course, in our so-called enlightened age, many cannot obtain work and sadly for a person of say 40 years of age and out of work, there is every possibility that he/she will never work again. The days are long gone when we left school at 14 and worked for 51 years, never being out of work.

Note the actions of Jesus in Mark 6: He had sent out his disciples two by two to work for him. He sent them in pairs - how much better and more encouraging to work with a friend or colleague.

Eventually, they came back to Jesus to report on their activities. Just imagine! Six pairs of men all trying to speak at once.

Speaking colloquially, Jesus said: "Hold on a minute fellas, how can we discuss anything here, there are far too many people about, let's go somewhere peaceful and in any case we need to eat, so come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest awhile" for there were many coming and going and they did not even have time to eat. So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.

Sadly, on this occasion, there was to be no rest, for the 'many, coming and going' saw what was happening and hurried the 10 miles or so around the north coast of the lake and as the lake would have been in normal circumstances quite calm, the boat would take some time to cover the six miles or so width of the lake. So 'the many' would arrive almost at the same time as the boat on the further side of the Sea of Galilee.

Our Lord's instruction to us is "to come aside to a deserted place to rest", to recharge our batteries, to seek and find reinvigoration for the work which lies ahead.

That is what holidays are for - may God grant that all of us who are going on holiday will indeed have a happy, care-free and trouble-free time of rest, reflection and relaxation.