From the Pastor's Desk

Having had roots "up north", it's always a bit of a wonder to me what a difference Labor Day means up there and here in Florida. "Up north" Labor Day marked the end of summer, school would soon begin, you took in the dock at the lake, and you knew cool weather was around the corner.

Ha! None of that is true for us in Florida. School will have been in session for a couple of weeks, we never have to bring in the docks or winterize the boats, there is no end in sight for the steamy conditions, and we are in the peak of hurricane season!

But another thing marked by Labor Day for us is that we return to our regular worship schedule, that is: Saturday 6:00 PM and Sunday 8:30 AM and 11:00 AM. We do that with some mixed feelings.

Just recently after one of our 9:30 Sunday morning services, someone said, "This is the perfect time! Not too early and not too late!" And it's been great for many of us. But, in the interest of making the best use of our space and opportunity for more to worship, our 3 worship services resume for September through May.

The reason we want to make worship available to as many as possible is that worship is at the heart and core of who we are and what we do. In worship we hear that Life Giving Word and feed on Living Bread. In worship we are equipped to go out into the week and into the world, having heard and seen something more than what the world alone has to offer. There are so many Sundays (and Saturdays) when, after worship, I think, "Oh, I wish this person or that person would have been here. This is just what he or she needed."

During our several "Bread Sundays" this past summer, we were reminded of how eating the "Bread of Life" is as important to do on a regular basis as it is to eat "daily bread" on a regular basis. To fail to feed our physical bodies means one will wither and die. To fail to feed our spiritual nature, or to feed it with that which perishes, means that part of us will wither and die.

Perhaps Labor Day can mean, along with other things, a good time to re-commit to regularly and faithfully coming to worship, and to strengthening your spiritual self by feeding on the Bread of Life and then sharing that Bread of Life everyday with a hungry world. That could be one of the most important things one could do on this last holiday of the summer, no matter where one lives.


See you in church!


Pastor Jack Diehl