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Hanover Presbyterian Church
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A NOTE FROM YOUR PASTOR (The quotes are from The Office of Spiritual Formation link on the PCUSA web-site: www.pcusa.org/spiritualformation) The discipline of keeping the Sabbath has greatly changed over the decades. Some of us can still remember when the stores were closed on Sundays, work ceased except what was necessary to care for animals and children and most people attended a church. Today we live differently. "Making time for Sabbath runs counter to our cultural obsession with achievement because achievement is usually measured by how much we are doing. Sabbath does not fall neatly into the 'doing' category." The Sabbath was originally created for a day of rest along with honoring God in our lives. Most of us are able to work weekly church attendance into the majority of our Sundays, but seldom can the entire day be a real Sabbath. So in addition to attending worship, rest and a change in the daily routine is necessary for all of us. Occasional vacations and family reunions gnerally fit into this change category, and can be blessings that benefit body, mind and soul. Even so, "we live in the tension of wanting and needing Sabbath, but are afraid to let on that we actually have time in our busy schedules for one." Are we "Sabbath-breakers" who desire to become Sabbath-makers?" And if so, how do we keep the Sabbath now? "To observe Sabbath is to keep constantly before us our dependence on God who creates, sustains, and provides." The web-site suggests 20-minute daily Sabbaths such as breath prayers, centering prayer, or prayerful reading using lectio-divina (I have copies of these from their web-site in my office). Their ideas for 20-minute Sabbaths are intended as tools that help us bring little chunks of the Sabbath day into every day of the week. They are envisioning. "Sabbath-making as a way of life, with Sabbath as a quality of time, not a quantity of time." We need to continue to work vacations and down time into our schedules along with ttending worship when we are able. But in addition, perhaps we can try a 20-minute Sabbath each day; in which we intentionally rest from out efforts to provide for ourselves, in order to devote our attention to God as our sole provider. Good "Sabbath Making" for all of us with blessings of peace and joy. Rev. Charlsie ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ COME CELEBRATE CAPTAIN MATTHEW FELUMLEE'S VISIT HOME! We will have an Open House at Hanover Presbyterian Church, 732 N. Main St. in Hanover, on August 31st from 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. Matthew will be home for about two weeks before heading back to Iraq for another six months. Bring a lawn chair and plan to stay and visit for a while. If we've forgotten to invite someone, just bring them along. Please help us spread the word. It's a celebration, Matthew is home! If you have any questions, please call Luellen or the church.
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