Summer Vacation

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns.  For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

-Exodus 20:8-11

Sabbath rest is often difficult for pastors to observe. We work on Sundays. In our household Saturdays are typically filled with sports and housework. So how do we carve out that time for rest? It takes discipline and desire. When we truly trust that God is in control and that the important things are really out of our hands anyway, we can rest. Yes, we have responsibilities and family to attend to, but I believe that sabbath is more about the spirit of what we do rather than the act. We still have to eat on sabbath, but we can prepare food in a spirit of thankfulness, as an act of worship. We can prepare the meal, eat, and clean up together.

This week, I am on vacation in the mountains and next week I will be on a “stay-cation” between our house and mom’s farm in Walla Walla. Saturday August 2nd is my aunt Patty Jo Murray’s funeral. She was a beloved matriarch of our family and will be deeply missed. She was the one who taught me how to quilt, so I’m taking my sewing machine to the mountains to remember all the hours we spent together making beautiful quilts for the people we love. Please pray for my family as we grieve this deep loss. And pray that we all can get some much needed physical, spiritual and emotional rest.

The unfamiliar story from the Old Testament this week is from Judges 11. It’s a complicated tale of bargaining with God. Pastor Sara will bring insight and challenge our understanding of God’s work in the world as well as celebrate the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. There’s trouble brewing in the Old West-ament.

Lord, we come as your friends to your table. Through the body and blood of Christ, given by the Spirit in the bread and wine, refresh those who are tired, heal those who are sick, and encourage those who are new. We thank you for hearing us. We thank you for forgiving us, through Jesus our risen Lord.  Amen.