From the Desk of Pastor Diehl

June / July

I know we are hearing an awful lot about "change" in the presidential campaign these days, but for the most part I think people like a certain amount of stability, dependability and routine. When there is a healthy routine one can get into a kind of rhythm and achieve a semblance of balance. These are all good things.

But a routine can also become a rut, and otherwise good and healthy activity can become a chore or boring or meaningless. Sometimes change is good and healthy. As "the season" comes to an end for us in Florida, when so many of our northern friends, who are a part of our community and our congregation leave to return north for the summer, we all have a change of pace. The folks who return north have the pleasant change of seeing family or friends whom they haven't seen while in Florida for the winter. And we Floridians experience a change in that there is less traffic, there is a change in activities (Day Camp, catching up, vacation planning),
and we can go to any restaurant we want any time and not have to wait in line...the plus side of four months of 75 degrees at night and 90 degrees in the daytime...and the possibility of an occasional
hurricane.☺ But the change of pace for all of us is usually a welcome and pleasant part of the rhythm of life.

This summer in our worship life, we are going to experience some routine and some change. What remains is that we continue to gather weekly around the Word and Sacraments, to worship God and be fed and nourished by God. This is such an important part of the Christian life, especially in a world where so much is unstable and uncertain! In worship, we re-connect with that firm foundation, the Rock of Ages, the Bread of Life, the Good Shepherd.

But along with that kind of healthy routine, this summer we will have a slight change in schedule in our worship times. The 6pm Saturday
service will remain, but on Sunday, instead of 2 services at 8:30 and 11am, we will worship once at 9:30 AM. Not only will this change our
Sunday morning routine somewhat, but it may also change where we sit in church! What if someone else sits in "my seat”!?! ☺ But perhaps this change will help make the following line from a hymn we sang on Pentecost come true; "Spirit of restlessness, stir me from placidness...".

To be able to worship is such a wonderful gift. For it to be a regular, predictable, routine part of life can be a life giving, nurturing force at
work in our lives. But if in being routine it becomes a rut or simply going through the motions, a change could be helpful and good. In any case, in this new season of the year, may both our routines
and our changes of pace, in the rhythms of life, be opportunities for us to grow in God's grace and be renewed in that grace which God continues to pour into our lives in all kinds of ways.

See you in church!

+ Living in God's Amazing Grace +

Pastor Jack

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