Worship and Rest

Summer officially began this month, but here in southeast Georgia it is safe to say that we have been there a while.  The temperature, humidity, and thunderstorms are all present and accounted for, and the many activities of summer have begun.

            In our church we have finished Vacation Bible School, and I’m hearing the same refrain over and over. “We won’t be there this Sunday, pastor. We’re going to the (lake, beach, mountains…you fill in the blank) for the week.” 

            Our Sunday school and worship attendance goes down this time every year in what we commonly call “the summer slump.”  I used to fret over this phenomenon, wondering what I could do differently to ensure that attendance stayed strong in June and July. 

            I don’t have those same worries today.  After all, a couple of weeks ago my wife and I were on the Gulf of Mexico for several days of “R & R” ourselves.  We sat on the beach and by the pool, visited some historical sites, ate at several fine restaurants, and I hit a golf ball a couple of times. 

            The truth is we all need time away.  We all need breaks. God knows that.  If you will remember, He planned for us to take one day a week for rest and worship.  He set the example for us by creating in six days, and resting on the seventh.  God did not need to rest. But He knew that we do, and so He both told us and showed us what to do.

            We need a day each week to relax. But we need as well to gather with other believers in worship.  We need not be legalistic by having a list of activities from which we must refrain on this day. But we need to take the time to step away from the regular and persistent chores of life so that we might experience the presence of God each week in a new and powerful manner.

            I encourage you to protect this day for worship. Enjoy the Lord and all He has done for you.  You will accomplish more in the other six days if you keep the Lord’s command to, “Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.”