July/August 2025 Chimes
Dear Siblings in Christ,
Summer often brings a shift in pace. School is out, routines change, and many people try to find time away—whether for vacation, a weekend off, or simply fewer meetings on the calendar. But even when the pace slows, true rest isn’t always easy to come by. For some, work continues without interruption. For others, caregiving responsibilities or financial limitations make time off feel out of reach. And even for those who can rest, it’s not uncommon to feel uneasy about it. With so much happening in the world—violence, injustice, environmental crisis—rest can feel like a luxury, or even a form of disengagement.
But Scripture tells us otherwise.
From the very beginning, God blessed the Sabbath—and called it holy. Not because the work was finished (sin and suffering were still to come), and not because the world didn’t need tending—but because rest is part of creation’s goodness. God didn’t need to rest. But God chose to, and invited us into that same rhythm. Not rest as escape, but as worship. Not rest as indulgence, but as resistance to the lie that our worth comes from how much we do.
The Sabbath, Jesus reminds us, was made for us (Mark 2:27). It’s a gift. It’s also a command—a holy discipline that says: the world doesn’t rest on our shoulders. It never did. Even when there is urgent work to do (and there always is), we are called to pause, to pray, to delight in God’s presence.
Receiving summer as Sabbath time doesn’t require dropping everything or escaping to some idealized retreat. It might look like setting aside one day a week where you don’t check email. It might mean intentionally stepping back from the pressure to be constantly productive. It could be carving out time for worship, quiet reflection, or simply being present with people you care about. None of this is about “doing nothing”—it’s about resisting the drive to do everything, all the time.
If you feel weary, know this: you are not alone. And you are not failing.
You are human. And the God who made you calls you not just to serve, but also to rest.
May this summer offer you glimpses of Sabbath grace.
May you be refreshed in body, mind, and spirit.
And may you find in this season not just leisure, but holiness.
With peace and rest,
Pastor Laura
Read the Current Chimes HERE.