Only in God do I find rest; my salvation comes from him. - Psalm 62:1

It’s the end of July and the summer feels like it is just about over. Tina and I are leaving for vacation to Niagara Falls and Maine on Monday. When we get back on the 15th, Tina will be getting ready to start school in less than a week. Please pray for safe travels for us. If you need emergency pastoral care while I am gone please reach out to Nancy Lear (804-304-3525) or Martha Slayton (804-449-6337). They will be able to connect you with pastor who is on call for me while I am on vacation.

Summers are usually a time that we think of as a time for rest and relaxation. And it is, for this summer we took a break from small group studies and the daily devotional time to rest and find rejuvenation for what we have planned in the fall. One of the things that I enjoy about “trying to find rest” is that it really lets your mind wonder down paths sometimes you don’t venture down. This is one of the benefits in being able to find rest in God because for me, this summer of rest has been one of pondering how we can reach out to those in our community in a different way so that we can build relationships. I have also been thinking about the spiritual foundation needs of our congregation as well. With that in mind, our daily devotional time on Facebook will start back up in September. I am planning to use a devotional guide based on selections from some of John Wesley’s sermons. We will see where this takes us. We will also be starting a couple of new small group studies this fall. One on Monday nights called “Breaking the Code”. In this study we will be exploring the book of Revelation. The second small group study will be on Wednesday mornings. We will be delving into the Psalms. Be on the lookout for the details in the Circuit Writer.

We all need to take the time and find rest. By finding rest, we allow God to open us up to the Holy Spirit. How are you finding rest in God this summer?

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Owen