Congratulations to all the
graduates who have come to the end of a significant and successful course of
study and who also enter a summer that will actually be for them a commencement
into the next arena of growth and challenge. May God bless you all, and accompany
you with the strength of his presence, protection and clear guidance.
More than any other season,
summer is a time of change. If we can recall how often reference is made to
summer in popular songs, we get into some descriptive phrases like, “…the
living is easy,” or “…no more pencils, no more books” and so on. There are many
stereotypes and most of them give summer higher marks than the other three
seasons. For a while, life can be different. Some of us will be looking for
summer work or toward summer camp or summer vacation. There will be many summer
schedules. Even the heat pumps have, of course, already been changed from
heating to cooling.
It might be helpful to remember
that summer is not simply some downhill race into the glee of the last day of
school, nor is it a lingering euphoria of having completed a difficult course
of study, and now the summer months can be given over to unwinding only. Most
of us know that somewhere in the summer months comes an awareness of autumn and
that the days grow short with amazing speed.
If we let it, summer can be a
kind of new beginning, at least for a while. Somewhere in the coming weeks will
be new experiences, perhaps new places to see and opportunities to gain
perspective on the trajectory of our lives. When the disciplines and restraints
of routine can be set aside we face new and sometimes deeper issues that expose
to us who we really are and reveal qualities that are more than required response
to mandated behaviors.
Summer can be a good time to make
sure that the windows of your life are wide open to let the fresh air of the presence
of Jesus Christ have a new access to your soul. There’s a world out there (or at
least a part of it) that is waiting for your witness, your kindness, your
unique way of looking at things. “Take Jesus with you wherever you go,” is what
we were always told, and that is a really good idea, especially in summertime.
If you are out of town, and
Sunday comes along, find a church to visit for worship and if you are in town,
don’t miss a single opportunity to worship with your brothers and sisters in
Christ here in the old neighborhood.
Pastor Jansen
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