From Pastor: I had to grimace the other day when I saw the following message at a church that had apparently given in to the “vacation” mentality of summer. It said, “Enjoy your vacation, we’ll see you in the Fall.”

It is true that Summer does become a very busy time in America these days. With the kids out of school there are family vacations and outdoor activities that seem to expand to fill every minute of our days. As a consequence, activity at church does seem to drop off during these three months. In fact, even finding enough material for a newsletter was a bit of a chore.

With Summer here, I would like to encourage you to build time into your busy schedules for something that will bring you great joy!

We were created for God’s pleasure, in his image and for a personal relationship with him. If we are to live the life that God intended for us to live, we need to know him better.

When Jesus was asked what the most important commandment was, he quoted Deuteronomy 6 and said. “…the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Then he adds: “The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.”

As we look at Deuteronomy we see a rich insight into God’s desire for relationship with us. We are directed to keep the Words of God on our heart, head, and hands. Note the parallels: First the heart, love him with passion, store his words in our heart. Second, love him with all our mind, intellect, our being – our head. Third, love him with all our strength, our service (to him and to our neighbor) and use our hands to keep His Word. God calls us to be submitted to one another and to him, not to be trying to get what is ours!

God is making it clear that he wants to be loved by us with every part of our being. He instructs us to teach his word to our children, to meditate on his words in the morning when we get up, in the evening as we lie down, as we sit to eat and as we go on our way. Essentially he is telling us that he wants us to dwell with him and think about him all day long, he wants to spend time with us continually.

God doesn’t stop there; scripture is replete with exhortations to “pray continually,” “pray without ceasing,” “constantly pray,” “night and day we pray,” “in all things by prayer.”

God’s desire is for us to be his children. We are encouraged to call him Abba, which means Father. To live in close relationship with God requires that we spend time with him. Back to the incredible joy I mentioned when I began.

Sin separated us from God; Jesus Christ through his death and resurrection has restored our relationship with our Heavenly Father. In the presence of God is great joy. We have direct access to God, we can live in his presence, we can even converse with God.

I remember as a child how one of the joys of Summer was time with my family. There were camping trips and swimming, cookouts and barbecues. We took a long trip to visit far away relatives every year and, as I look back, I realize how my father understood children. He knew that a long trip to see relatives we had hardly met would not be exciting for children. So he always made sure to put enough money aside for a trip to an amusement park or some other fun activity for us kids. He made sure time together was special.

Our time with God, our heavenly Father, should be just as special this Summer. Family devotions, prayer and the wonders of God’s creation as we enjoy outdoor activities can all remind us of God’s love and help us enjoy His presence.

So, as your schedule fills up this summer, I hope you find time in your busyness to be with God, to spend time meditating on the scriptures and praying to the God who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. He wants you to bring your pain, sorrow and struggles to him. He wants you to share your excitement, joy, victory and everything else that is important to you.

Listen to what he says in Romans 8:26. “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.”

And again in Philippians 4: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Have a great summer and find the incredible joy God has in store for you as you get to know him better!

As I was getting ready to write the article for our VBS program, I was reading the Director’s guide and came across the following message from Concordia Publishing House to VBS planners. Because it did such a good job of describing the purposes of VBS, I thought I would include it as the advertisement for our VBS program this year.

What we believe & teach

Every summer, thousands of kids and their families hear about Jesus for the first time at Vacation Bible School. Many more deepen their faith and knowledge of their Savior.

You invest time, energy, and money in VBS to make a difference in people’s lives and in the congregations you love. We share this passion as your partners in the Gospel.

We also share respect for the Bible, God’s holy Word. The Holy Spirit inspired the writing of the Bible, and since God cannot lie or contradict Himself, we believe it is without error and contradiction. All Scriptures point to Jesus, who fulfilled every prophecy about the promised Messiah.

To keep the focus on Jesus, we teach more than Bible facts. We faithfully teach about who Jesus is and why He came to earth. Kids learn to know, love, and trust Jesus as their God, Savior, and Lord, not as some nice guy or super man. Look for these Christ-centered qualities in every lesson:

• Main Ideas teach about Jesus, our living, risen Savior, and His work for us.
• Goals seek kids’ responses to God’s grace. You’ll find these “know, grow, and go” statements on the first page of every lesson.
• Law and Gospel messages appear in every lesson.
• The Law tells what God wants us to do. It reveals sin and our inability to meet God’s expectations, showing our need for a Savior.
• The Gospel is the good news that God sent His Son to rescue sinners through His perfect life, death on the cross, and resurrection. Believers in Jesus receive forgiveness of sin, eternal life, and the Holy Spirit. Empowered by the Spirit, we respond in faith, live as His people, and grow in His Word.

Christian kids benefit from VBS too. They hear important reminders that God loves them, claimsthem as His children in Baptism, forgives them by grace through faith in Christ Jesus, and empowers them to live as His people.

Quest for Truth takes kids to the cross and empty tomb to meet Jesus, the way to heaven, the Savior of truth, and our life!

Kids 3 yrs old – 6th grade, join us for our QUEST FOR TRUTH Sunday July 22nd – Thursday July 26th at 6:00 PM. Supper will be provided beforehand at 5:30. And be sure to pick up your VBS preview pack with music CD and iron-ons at the church to help you get excited about our program this year.

We need volunteers. If you would like to teach, lead or help in any way with VBS, please let Pastor Andersen or Heidi Parker know.