Remember back at the first of June when you were looking forward to Summer. It may have been for a number of different reasons. I think for most of us it signifies a break in our routine. The cold and brutal winter, the wet and muddy spring, are behind us now and we have more opportunities to get out of the house. The days are longer so it means we actually can catch a sunset after dinner, with dishes done and little ones put to bed. We longed for warmer, even hot weather (to a point), a break from the need to bundle up with coats and hats and gloves. We looked forward to a hammock in the background, or swing on the porch, or just sitting in that sunroom with the window wide open. We were looking forward to summer because it offered an opportunity to relax, to go on vacation, to have a cookout, to watch a live ballgame, to take a swim outdoors.

    For most of us summer bring up fond memories of our childhood, a break from the routine of school. As a kid I couldn’t wait for school to be out for the whole summer. That was back when you never went back to classes until after Labor Day. But do you want to know something strange? Every summer without fail, by the middle of August, many, myself included, would start complaining that we were “bored!” “There’s nothing to do.” All that freedom from the classroom and studies, and yet we (I) began to long for the routine we once wished was gone. How strange and yet how normal. Maybe it’s a part of our collective DNA. Something to do with our basic human nature. A need for routine, for the familiar, for a sense of steadfastness.

    I think our faith often reflects this basic human nature. Living faithful lives is demanding, it calls for a routine of prayer, study, service, and worship. And yet we often equate routine with words like habitual, dull, mundane, and ordinary. But in the routine of Church life it should instead be seen as steadfast, stable, and faithful. In fact, Jesus was an advocate for taking a break from the routine of life. He knew the value of rest and renewal. Yet, we need to understand that this is more than physical and mental relaxation. It’s a need to set aside time for God.

    As you read through the gospels you will find many times when Jesus breaks away from the crowds, or even his small group of disciples. He would retreat into the mountains, or sometimes just a short distance from the group. He knew how important it was to get renewed, so that the work of his ministry and mission could move forward. In Mark 6:31 it says, He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” Note that it does say, “rest for a while”. There’s the implied need to return and not stay away.

    We in the Church tend get this all backwards, especially in the summer. We look for a break from those very things that are meant to bring us closer to God, as in prayer, study, mission work, and even worship. But I also think that, for most of us, our breaking from Church routine also brings us back to a point much like my childhood longing to return to the classroom and studies. I hope this is the case for you as we end our summer break here at First Christian Church and return to a stronger routine of mission, ministry, study, prayer, service, and worship.

    I look forward to see all of you back in the routine of Church life on September 11th, renewed and ready to continue the work that our Lord is calling us to do.