Slideshow image

Hi everyone! I trust you’re keeping cool these days as the temperature has finally climbed up into the really warm summer range.

Maybe it was a dumb idea, but I went for a bike ride yesterday afternoon right at the heat of the day. It was lovely and cool whenever I was coming downhill, but hot and sweaty on the uphills. And there were a good number of those. (I’m so blessed to live in a place where I can hop on my bike and in a few minutes I’m on the trails that zig-zag up and down Mount Seymour. What a treat! But there are definitely hills to climb!)

I can tell I’m not riding as much as I used to—or as I probably should. A few years ago, I’d have done yesterday’s trail without any stops. Yesterday it wasn’t pretty at all. I puffed uphill for a bit, then stopped and puffed and panted to catch my breath. Then uphill, then stop. And again, and again.

I’m going to blame my performance on the heat, perhaps because I don’t want to admit that my legs are just getting older. Then again, I suppose it’s just part of being human. After all, when God created us back at the very start, He designed us so that we’d need to live in a rhythm of work, rest, work, and rest.

That rhythm is good for us, whether we’re young or old or somewhere in between. There’s something healthy about stopping, catching our breath, pausing to notice what’s going on around us, and generally being refreshed before we start pedalling again. It’s why God gave us Sabbaths and sabbaticals. He knew that if we spent all our time heads-down, pushing as hard as we can at tasks, we’d not only get tired physically, but also run-down emotionally and spiritually. And we’d miss the many opportunities He’s built into our world to notice His presence, to worship, and to let Him put fresh breath in our lungs and re-energized life in our hearts. So He invites—indeed, He commands—us to take rests where we can be renewed: physically, emotionally, socially, spiritually, in every way. And He’s arranged our lives so that, whether we like it or not, we’re all forced to take those rests along the path, for our own good.

I suppose I have the subject of rest on my mind because this coming weekend Diane and I head out for our main annual vacation. We’re not puffing and sweating and feeling exhausted as a result of work and ministry, as if we’d been slogging up a steep hill. On the whole, I think we’re both enjoying our regular weekly rhythms of work and rest. But we certainly appreciate having the chance to step away from the normal routine to relax, refresh, reflect, read, and experience the renewal that comes when we can take a little more extended time away. It’s always enjoyable, and it always reminds us just how wise our Lord was when He instructed us to build that rhythm of rest into our lives.

So, that means we won’t get to see you all this coming Sunday or the one after. We’ll miss being together with our wonderful church family. We love our times of fellowship and collaboration with you all—please never think that our love for getting away is a sign that we want to get away from you. WVBC is a refreshing community, and we look forward to connecting again in August. However, the rest is important. It’s probably good for you to get a break from us, too. Summer is a great time to inject a little variety into our church’s gatherings.

Thanks for your prayers for safety on the road, for good weather, fruitful conversations with people we meet, and a real sense of the Lord’s renewing touch on us both. We’ll be praying for you as well, that these will be great weeks, and that you all will find good ways to live out the principle of Sabbath in your own schedules. We’ll look forward to seeing you again when August comes around.

In the meantime, I’m delighted to say that this coming Sunday we’ll have another visit from Brian Louw, our CBWC District Minister. Perhaps you’ll remember the last time Brian was with us last year? (He invited us to think about ways that the church is like a hamburger. What a great, memorable picture!) This week Brian is going to jump into our series on the Psalms with a message on Psalm 27. If you’re looking to read ahead, it’s a wonderful psalm with a number of verses that are definitely worth memorizing and meditating on. And it’s only 14 verses, so it’s not a hard psalm to review several times. Then as we get into August, Pastor Aldo will pick up the baton, though I’m not sure what psalms he has chosen yet. I look forward to hearing what the Spirit has to say through him as well.

That’s my news for this week. Until next time, keep cool, safe travels for all who are traveling, and may you be vividly aware of God’s presence and blessing during this wonderful summer season.

—Pastor Ken