Dear Brothers and Sisters,
   Christ is Risen!  He is risen indeed!
   I love May.  Sometime this month it is going to start feeling like summer on most days.  The schedule will slow up a bit or at least change.  The Lenten season is past, confirmation will happen, those classes will end.  Ahh!
   I'm convinced that God really wants all of us to have our share of Ahh! days.  In fact, he planned for us to get that kind of day 1 out of every 7.  He called it the Sabbath Day.  As much as it was a day for Him, it was also a day for rest, for the pause that refreshes.
  Will you join me this summer in the art of sabbath?  Let's practice our faith in the Risen Lord and live a resurrection life in regard to worship.  Let's worship and let the Spirit refresh our souls with rest in his Word and Sacrament.  And let us rest our minds and bodies, too.
   Perhaps each of us would benefit from a bit of sabbath rehabilitation.  I've noticed in summer time that our attendance goes down quite a lot.  I would expect it to do that some; more of us vacation and we take off when the weather is warm.  But it appears that some of us don't come together to worship even when we are around.  It's kind of like we take the summer off.  Others still attend but do we remain faithful in daily prayer, scriptue reading, etc.?   
    I encourage you to rethink this, if this is your pattern.  God isn't taking it off.  He will be here for you. And our need for the good news of Jesus is no less.  What have we gained if we rest our bodies, but deprive our self of soul food?
   If we can't make it to worship here, we could worship in another church, read Scripture, sing and pray with our family in whatever setting we are. 
   I'm writing about this already in May so that you can start to plan how you might be faithful to God in worship and helpful to your own relationship with God, as you plan your summer.
   Vacation, camp, walk, fish, hike, work, enjoy the outdoors, travel, and do it all intentionally with Christ. 
   Have a great summer!  See you often!  Christ is risen!  Shall we be, too?!
                                             Pastor John

American Cancer Society Relay for Life will be in Watertown June 27,2003 at 6:00pm through June 28, 2003 at 7:00pm. at the Allen Mitchell Track and Field.  The cancer survivor lap is at 6:30pm, luminaria ceremony is at 10:00pm.
There are five eacy ways to get involved with the Relay for Life.