July 11, 2023
Dear Friends,
I don’t mean, of course, that church is going on vacation.
But what do you think about church while you’re on vacation? It’s easy for that to be the last thing on your mind, since vacation is time away from all of the normal things of life. It’s time away from work, school, chores, e-mail, voicemail, and everything else.
But church is not like those other things. In fact, if you go to the root of weekly worship, the Sabbath day, you find that the main purpose of the Sabbath was essentially the same as vacation: time away from work, school, chores, e-mail, voicemail, and everything else.
Rest is a gift from God: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Mt. 12:28).
And the need for rest is why Christians set aside one day a week for the Divine Service. The word “holiday” comes from smooshing together “holy day”. What makes a day holy? The same thing that makes anything holy – God’s Word and Spirit.
That means it’s not really a holiday or a vacation if it is time less occupied with God’s Word than normal.
And that’s why when you go on vacation, you should always ask yourself, “Where am I going to go to church on Sunday?” Or ask it another way, “Where am I going to hear God’s Word preached to me? Where am I going to hear the voice of my shepherd?”
I can tell you from experience that neglecting God’s Word is a sure path to misery. At the same time, going out of your way to hear God’s Word brings countless blessings.
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10-11).
What does God want to give you through his word? The forgiveness of sins, eternal life, wisdom, peace, confidence, love, joy, virtue, and the list goes on. So, especially when you’re on vacation, drink deeply from this fountain of life and fill your ears and hearts with God’s Word!
God bless and keep you,
Pr. Buchs
COMING EVENTS:
Pastor on Vacation – July 10-18
Council Meeting – Thursday, July 13 @ 7pm