Pastor's Pen: Summer Recreation

This article was originally published in the Messenger in June 2021.

Summer is here. It is true that the official beginning of the season, the summer solstice, doesn’t occur until June 21, and school remains in session for a few more days. Nonetheless, one can sense that the season is already in the air. People are planning vacations, trips to Cedar Point, and visits with family. Children are looking forward to time at the swimming pool, summer camps, and a few more video games in air-conditioned comfort. We are thinking about summer foods—a glass of sun tea, lemonade, or an ice cream cone that melts faster than we can lick.

We associate summer with recreation, and many use the hotter months to rest and to play. We work hard, and ironically, we are very serious about our recreation. We invest our money to make our time off more relaxing and more fun. We use our precious minutes searching the internet for the best prices on flights, hotel rooms, and cruises. Something in our souls begs for time-off or just a little break. The word recreation itself literally means “re”-creation. We are rejuvenated, refreshed, and renewed by our downtime.

The Scriptures teach us that we keep the Sabbath because God rested after creating the world. They also teach us that creation was corrupted, and “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: the old has gone, the new has come” (2 Cor 5:17 ). We are “re”-created by God, and we find rest finally in him. This summer, as you are frantically looking for times of recreation, don’t forget the opportunity to be re-created. We’ll see you on the Lord’s Day in worship.

Grace & Peace,

James Hodsden