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Holland Presbyterian Church
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Newsletter |
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June 2009 “The apostles returned to Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a lonely place, and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in a boat to a lonely place by themselves.” Mark 6:30-34The month of May kind of passed in a blur. It was a very busy month – many activities on the Holland Church calendar, getting gardens planted, for some there were graduations, then throw in a Mother’s Day and Memorial Day…. it was busy. We’ll not complain about the weather, however. A nice dose of warm sunshine and regular rains brought all the leaves out and made the grass and flowers grow as if they had been given vitamins. It’s a beautiful time of the year, even if we feel compelled to mow and hoe pretty frequently. As we enter the month of June, as school and other activities end, folks take on a different mindset. Vacations, picnics, and summer events start to dominate our thoughts. For many in this economically challenged land, vacation plans may be a little less grandiose than in years past, but the desire to relax and get away from it all seems to come naturally with warm air and long days. This desire seems to affect our church calendar as well. Through May this year we’ve maintained a rather feverish pace as we joined in the community yard sale, fed the multitudes in the dining room, set up a new food pantry, observed special seasons with special services, and kept up our regular schedule of worship and prayer. Now, those long days and warm air are enticing us to ease up at church and pursue the pleasures of summer. We’re reminded of the feverish activities of Elijah as he sought to bring Ahab and the people of Israel back to the Lord. After boldly confronting Ahab and the people of Israel by calling down fire upon his sacrifice, Elijah slew all of the prophets of Baal. But when Ahab’s wife, Jezebel, heard this she sent a message vowing to kill Elijah. Elijah ran for his life, until, discouraged and exhausted, he fell down under a juniper tree and slept deeply. Twice an angel awakened him and gave him food and drink and so restored his full strength and desire to be obedient to God’s calling. While our activities haven’t been quite as frenetic – or, we regret to say, as single-mindedly dedicated to bringing people to worship the one true God – we are somewhat tired and seek a period of release from all the responsibilities and obligations of the full church menu. So take some time off, rest and recharge your level of enthusiasm. May an angel visit each of you with life-sustaining nourishment and fill your cup with renewed boldness to do God’s work. Enjoy the summer.
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