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ONLINE WORSHIP
Happy Summer, everyone!
I will admit to having mixed feelings about this season, as I’m not a fan of hot weather. I’d be glad for high 70s and low 80s throughout these months. There are some things I do like, however — the beach, my gardens, my porch, the longer light, and the foods of summer, especially ice cream, corn on the cob, and lobster!
In New England, worship attendance always takes a dip in the summer, as folks travel or move to summer homes. Most programs, such as S.S., choir and many meetings, take a break till fall. This was different from the churches in the south, when I lived in Tennessee and Kentucky for a decade. Summer was revival time and “all-day-singing and dinner- on-the-grounds.” There were many things I liked about this style. Although I didn’t adopt most of the theology, the spirit, music, and prayers often fed my soul.
This is a convoluted way of wishing you all a good summer, whether you’ll be close to home or venturing far away. I wish you new adventures and safe travels. And please be kind to others and be a good tourist. (I grew up in a tourist town and found many of the tourists to be very rude. When I told my mother this, she promptly reminded me that they were my “bread and butter.”)
Also, if you attend worship in other communities, please bring back a bulletin or printed newsletter, if avail-able. I always like to see what other churches are doing in their worship and church life.
Speaking of worship, I often do a sermon series in the summer. This year we will be spending the “Summer with the Psalms.” Some of these are familiar to us, in their poetry and refrains. Many served as the hymns of Israel, in good times and bad. There are Psalms of lament (personal and national); Psalms of nature, history, thanksgiving, and confession; and Psalms of meditation and reflection.
Some of our most beloved verses are from the Psalms — “The Lord is my Shepherd,” “I will lift up my eyes,” “Be still and know that I am God,” to name a few. I’ve chosen a variety for July and August, and you’ll find a worship schedule in this newsletter. I encourage you to add them to your summer reading. There are 150 Psalms, so if you read two Psalms a day starting July 1, you’ll be done by September 13. But if you read three a day, you’ll end by August 19. You get the picture.
Happy reading — happy summer — be safe — be well — be blessed!
This year's "talent show" was as fun as usual with some real talent and general silliness and good fun. We were able to raise over $800 to benefit the Levin-Chute Scholarship fund.
