Dear Friends,
“Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” Mark 6:31
In the rhythm of the year, I have always known the months of July and August to be the ones of rest, relaxation and renewal. I do not believe that we must go away or vacate to somewhere, like the mountains or the beach, to have a vacation. Jesus instructed his disciples to just get away to a deserted place and to rest. This can be any place, including our own back yards, where we can be with God and get renewed.
I am getting very excited for our youth retreat to Wintergreen in August. These few days away will help us to transition from the lazy days of summer to bonding our group for the program year. Dana and I will have activities planned that will help us grow in fellowship and faith.
If you have not had time away with God to rest recently, I encourage you to do so. Our spiritual well-being can be greatly affected by this time of retreat. Jesus modeled this many times in Bible and we should follow. Daily mini-vacations are a must!
The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston, Choctaw, prepared the following list as indicators of our spiritual well-being. After reviewing this, please let me know how you measure and how I can help you this summer.
Ten Signs of Spiritual Well Being:
1. You believe there is always hope.
2. Your faith is what you do not only what you think.
3. You don’t feel it is a chore to go to a worship service.
4. Prayer is more of an instinct than a habit.
5. You enjoy seeing other people take charge and succeed.
6. You have more interesting books to read than you have time for.
7. Other faith traditions are never a threat.
8. When you give of your time and money to help, it feels really good.
9. As you age, you seem to find more and more reasons to smile.
10. Life is a mystery, not a law.
Enjoy your vacation!
Blessings,
Gini+
Please note: This Rector’s message is for July and August.