Dear Friends,

As we move into our summer mode here at United Church -- summer hours (10 a.m. starting JUNE 10!), summer bulletins, and, yes, lower summer attendance -- I am reminded of a bit of banter I once heard pass between a pastor and parishioner:

      "Say, [Parishioner], we missed you in church last week..."
      "Well, [Pastor], it was such a beautiful day, I played golf instead. And, you know, you can worship God just as well on the golf course as you can stuck inside some church building."
      "That's true, [Parishioner], you can. But the question is: Do you?"

As a pastor, I don't begrudge anyone their vacation time. (Begrudge, no. Envy? You bet.) We all need time to rest and relax, to be with family or get away from family. Such time is essential for our health and well-being and development as persons. Even God took a Sabbath rest from the work of creation. Even Jesus retreated to places of solitude to recharge.

But this summer I challenge you to make God an explicit part of your vacation time. Find a church in Maine/California/Italy and worship with them. (You may not agree with them much, but that can be an important lesson to[re]learn. And who knows, you may become a missionary for United Church.) Take time to reflect purposefully on that mountain you're hiking or the waves lapping at your feet and the God behind and in and through it all. This summer, I dare you to worship God while playing golf. It's true: You can do it, if you put your heart into it.

Oh, and yes, United Church will be here in New Haven all summer long. So drop in when you're back in town or if you simply can't get away. Come in shorts and a t-shirt if you like. Make church a kind of mini-vacation. We can guarantee you plenty of room to stretch out in as we continue to worship god together, to seek that place where God speaks peace to our hearts and we are refreshed for the experience.

Peace,
John