Bulletin Articles
Honey-did you remember to pack God or was I supposed to do that?
It is getting to be the time of year when-let’s face it, in Indiana, winter feels like it has lasted three months too long! The sun has not shone, the gray skies seem to linger, and the ads on television begin to look very enticing for any escape that offers reprieve from cold and work! Half of the enjoyment of any vacation is the anticipation it provides. Where will we go, what will we do there, where will we stay, (how much is this going to cost…)and how long can we be gone before we have to return to the uncertain temperatures of Indiana?
Unless your travel plans involve a quick trip on Indiana’s tenderloin trail, it is likely you will be gone over a day of worship. Have you stopped to consider how you will offer what is expected to God? It is, after all, your vacation, and you have worked so hard for it, and it is only a few days out of an entire year, right? Let me ask you this-do you want God to take a vacation from you? It’s just a few days, right? Somehow it doesn’t sound the same! The Psalmist writer noted that he did not want “the Lord to be far from me”-Psalms 22:19.
Hebrews. 12:28 reminds us that we should be “thankful and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire”. Pack your bible, look up a local congregation to meet with and when travel gets complicated, pack the portable communion cups and determine a location with wi-fi to worship virtually. There are many ways to plan your getaway AND still maintain your Christian priorities. James 4:15 reminds us that all plans are “as the Lord wills”. Worship should never be seen as a chore or impediment to our plans. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind”-Matthew 22:37. Let the opportunity that God has blessed you with become a time for you to not only refresh your physical body but also your spiritual mind.
