Summer is almost upon us. Though it is still snowing on the mountains, it is also starting to melt. The sun is finally starting to break through the clouds for extended periods of time, freeing us from the grays of winter. Warm days seem to be headed our way… and probably some relatives, too!
Since the season is fast approaching, I assume that you have likely started to make some summer plans. While it does not take a whole lot of forethought to go through Glacier for a day, trips to the coast or across the country take a little bit more planning and saving. While summer brings many people back into our area to their homes and cabins on the lake, summer also gives those of us who live in the valley all-year a chance to get away for a bit. And this takes some planning on our part.
As you make your summer plans, I want to invite you to think about how you will live out your faith this summer. Here are some spiritual dimensions that I invite you to focus on in your vacation planning:
Sabbath – You probably think of the concept of sabbath in terms of the third commandment which says “Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.” After the Lord worked to create the world and everything in it, scripture tells us that the Lord rested and God commands us to do the same. Rest is holy and favored by God. One thing I always hope for when I get out of town for a while is an opportunity to intentionally live into God’s command that we rest. In planning your summer vacations, I invite you to not only think about planning stuff to do, but ways that you can take sabbath by prayerfully resting from your work.
Family – It is a gift to be able to vacation as a family. The opportunity to travel with and share experiences of seeing new places and meeting new people is something that adds to the health of who we are together as parents, children, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Stories we share about the places we have been together as a family are important for us in remembering who we are together. I believe that God uses experiences of travel to strengthen our connections to one another as family.
Exploring God’s creation – God has formed a wonderful world around us, but sometimes we lose sight of its wonders. I wish that everyone, every day, would be amazed at what God has created all around us. However, it is easy to lose sight of the wonders that God has formed in our world. It is good and holy that in your summer travels you take time to be amazed at the wonders of God’s creation. As you step away from the distractions of your everyday, may you be amazed at the wonder of God’s eternal majesty.
Go with God – I love the Spanish phrase, vaya con Dios, which translates to mean “Go with God!” Wherever you travel, may you remember that the Lord accompanies you on your journeys. You are not alone in this life, nor are you alone on the journeys that are before you. May you always remember that wherever you travel to God is leading you onward and joins you for the journey.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Since the season is fast approaching, I assume that you have likely started to make some summer plans. While it does not take a whole lot of forethought to go through Glacier for a day, trips to the coast or across the country take a little bit more planning and saving. While summer brings many people back into our area to their homes and cabins on the lake, summer also gives those of us who live in the valley all-year a chance to get away for a bit. And this takes some planning on our part.
As you make your summer plans, I want to invite you to think about how you will live out your faith this summer. Here are some spiritual dimensions that I invite you to focus on in your vacation planning:
Sabbath – You probably think of the concept of sabbath in terms of the third commandment which says “Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.” After the Lord worked to create the world and everything in it, scripture tells us that the Lord rested and God commands us to do the same. Rest is holy and favored by God. One thing I always hope for when I get out of town for a while is an opportunity to intentionally live into God’s command that we rest. In planning your summer vacations, I invite you to not only think about planning stuff to do, but ways that you can take sabbath by prayerfully resting from your work.
Family – It is a gift to be able to vacation as a family. The opportunity to travel with and share experiences of seeing new places and meeting new people is something that adds to the health of who we are together as parents, children, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Stories we share about the places we have been together as a family are important for us in remembering who we are together. I believe that God uses experiences of travel to strengthen our connections to one another as family.
Exploring God’s creation – God has formed a wonderful world around us, but sometimes we lose sight of its wonders. I wish that everyone, every day, would be amazed at what God has created all around us. However, it is easy to lose sight of the wonders that God has formed in our world. It is good and holy that in your summer travels you take time to be amazed at the wonders of God’s creation. As you step away from the distractions of your everyday, may you be amazed at the wonder of God’s eternal majesty.
Go with God – I love the Spanish phrase, vaya con Dios, which translates to mean “Go with God!” Wherever you travel, may you remember that the Lord accompanies you on your journeys. You are not alone in this life, nor are you alone on the journeys that are before you. May you always remember that wherever you travel to God is leading you onward and joins you for the journey.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
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