Dear Members and Friends  of Vernon Presbyterian Church,

One of the signs that summer is upon us is that church attendance starts to dwindle. Partly this reflects the fact that people are traveling and enjoying the outdoors after our long, hard winter. Rest and relaxation are good and necessary. The Scriptures tell us that in God’s scheme of things, it’s very important for us to take time away from daily worries and concerns, to rest and be renewed. Rest is so important to our well-being that God commanded us to observe a day of rest, the Sabbath.

But summer does not mean a time to take vacation from God. God does not take the summer off from us! God is always with us, caring for us, loving us, holding us close, and urging us to come closer to God. The Psalmist tells us that God neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:4). The faithfulness of God is a constant that we can count on in every season of the year and in every season of our lives: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).

 So let’s remember—everything we have, our very lives, the beautiful creation that surrounds us, the time we have for rest and enjoyment, the people given to us to love, the freedoms we enjoy in this country, all these things are beautiful gifts from God. God took on human flesh in Jesus Christ so we would know that God’s love for us is never-ending. The God whose love never ceases calls us together to respond with worship and praise.

So let’s not take vacation from God this summer. Every day, but especially Sunday, the day when God raised Jesus from death, is a good day to remind ourselves that we have been given the precious gift of a new and redeemed life in him. So we come together as brothers and sisters to sing and pray and praise God together: “This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I will say, rejoice” (Philippians 4:4).

Have a restful and relaxing summer! I look forward to seeing you at Sunday worship.

Yours in Christ,  Pastor Judy