Our Mission: To welcome people to faith in Jesus Christ, equip us with faith that helps to grow, and send us into the world to serve.

We've set up the Pastors' Page so that the Reverends Marlowe and others from our church can speak directly to you and with you. Comments and question about this page can be e-mailed directly to the Reverends Marlowe. They would be glad to hear from you.

Summertime is here. By the time you see this newsletter, school will be out, or at least almost out. I just love summer: baseball, swimming pools, cookouts, warm weather, and T-shirts. But what do I write about in this month's newsletter? Vacations!

There's something about getting away, isn't there? As we leave town, we feel all the normal responsibilities and obligations slowly drifting away. The farther we get from home, the more relaxed we feel. It's time for some leisure and relaxation. Goodbye stress and hello sunshine!

Only it's not quite that simple. While we certainly enjoy taking some much deserved time off, we never take a vacation from God. I knew someone who was once taking a trip to Rome. He told his priest about it, and the priest said he knew of a homeless shelter in Rome where he could volunteer. Oops, wait a minute, this was supposed to be a vacation; he would be too busy to volunteer at the homeless shelter; this was a vacation. The priest asked him, "Do you plan on being a Christian while you are on vacation?" That pretty much ended the discussion. He worked at the homeless shelter while in Rome.

But I'm an old softie. I won't ask you to work the homeless shelter while you are on vacation (although it wouldn't be a bad idea). I'm only asking you to go to church and worship while on vacation. See how easy I am?

I'd like for you to bring me a bulletin from some church in another part of the state or country (or world?) Some of you have already brought be bulletins from trips that you have taken, which I appreciate. It doesn't even have to be a Methodist Church, just a Christian one.

Unfortunately, we Methodists don't have too much theological precedence for taking vacations. John Wesley said, "Leisure and I have parted company." My goodness, Father John! Lighten up a little! No wonder the average life expectancy of the early Methodist preacher was only 35. Give us a break, man!

Fortunately, although Wesley is to be admired and learned from, he is not the highest religious authority. We have a source that trumps even Wesley: the Bible. Genesis 2:3 states, "So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation." Sorry, Mr. Wesley, but I figure if the Lord took a day off every now and then, it's ok for us to.

It's not only ok for us to take a day off, it is commanded in the Ten Commandments: "Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy. For six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God; you shall not do any work you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns." (Exodus 20:8-10)

This idea of Sabbath is deeply ingrained throughout the Scriptures. Every seventh year, the Israelites were supposed to let the fields lay fallow, so that the poor could eat (Exodus 23:11 ). And after 49 years, all debts were cancelled (Leviticus 25). That was called the year of Jubilee. In Luke 4, Jesus inaugurated his ministry by announcing a text (Isaiah 6l ), which was understood to be the social manifestation of the year of Jubilee. Charles Wesley even declared that with the advent of Christ, "The year of Jubilee has come." (# 379 in the UM Hymnal). All of these Sabbath traditions were ways of talking about how human beings are of value not because of our work or productivity, but simply because God has chosen to value all of us.

So let us enjoy our summer vacations and Sabbaths! But let us remember to keep them hallowed!

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Last modified: May 27, 2010