Pastor Nikki's Notions
Dear Friends,
Springtime has certainly taken its time getting to us this year! And of this, of course, that though the snow is still melting, and though the trees have not shown any signs of budding as of yet, summer will be upon us before we know it. Graduation parties will be underway in a just a few short weeks, and kids will be out of school by the beginning of next month. Summer truly is almost here! Our summers here in Wisconsin are magical and precious. And so many of us find that we are very careful not to waste our summers. I suppose that for many of us, an unwasted summer looks like taking advantage of the warmer weather, getting outside whenever possible. I have thought about different ways that we might take advantage of the lull in the constant stream of activities, taking some time to relax and enjoy just being in this church community.
And I have thought about how full many people's summers are. There will be road trips and visiting grandchildren. There will be weekend getaways, family vacations, sports tournaments, summer camps, visits to the pool or the zoo, fireworks and street festivals, live music, catching fireflies, exploring the forest and so much more. It seems that there is something exciting happening just about every day during summer in Wisconsin. And as I consider all of the wonderful things to do and all of the amazing places there are to go and see, I ask myself "Is a full summer an unwasted summer?" Not necessarily. It has occurred to me that in the midst of so many fun things and so many pressures on our time, it can be easy to neglect our spiritual lives. Many people end up taking a “time out” from their church family during the summer, thinking they’ll just reconnect when autumn rolls around, and the kids or grandkids go back to school and things seem a little more settled. Unfortunately, those who do reconnect have thrown away three months of digging deeper into their life of faith with their faith community, and a lot of folks just don’t reconnect when life calms down because, let's face it, life never really calms down. In all of our busyness and travel and activities, we tend to give Jesus the leftovers of our summer.
Landon Coleman posted a blog article on the Servants of Grace website about this very topic, suggesting that there are a few ways in which church folk can be intentional about staying connected with their church family and with God during the hectic summer months. He suggests for activites ...
First, make church attendance a priority. If you’re in town, don’t let a busy schedule keep you from going to church. And if you’re travelling, take the opportunity to gather with other believers for worship and the Word.
Second, Coleman writes, "be regular in the means of grace." He describes the means of grace as anything that can help you to hear from God, whether this is prayer or journaling, reading the Bible or having a great conversation about spiritual matters, singing or dancing or creating something with your hands. Coleman insists that even when traveling, it is important to carve out time for spiritual practice.
Third, find ways to connect God to all the things you do. God is there, wherever you go! Do not miss out on finding God's presence in the mountains, out on a lake, in a family member's home, or wherever else you may wind up!
Fourth, give even when you don’t attend. Coleman writes, "Any pastor will tell you that summer months are lean months for church attendance and church budgets. I understand lean attendance numbers, but church budgets should not suffer just because people leave town... Support gospel ministry at your church even when you’re not there by giving consistently."
These activities will keep you connected to God and keep your church connected with you all throughout the busy summer months, and through making time to do these things, we can all be sure not to waste our summers!
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Nikki
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