A weekly reflection from a member of the Hastings clergy

Written by Pastor Paris Pasch of The Journey Church in Hastings

Is God included in your summer plans?

Are you aware that the Bible is really a simple yet profound book about farming? I mean God often uses an agricultural metaphor to educate us on how we might enjoy life the most. He tells us to sow seeds like a farmer. He reminds us that the soil we plant in matters and he reveals that there is always a harvest coming because He designed it that way. Maybe you are so far removed from farming it is a lost insight, so let me move you to a more modern perspective. Maybe you plant a simple garden in the spring or have a house plant on your window sill. Maybe you’re a parent or a teacher. These are all the same imagery that God uses to teach us how He designed things to function.

Maybe you’re planning a summer vacation, a summer job, or time at the waterfront cabin. All these are wonderful goals and I would like to suggest including some spiritual goals as well.

Maybe you could plan on reading through the New Testament portion of the Bible during the summer. Maybe as you awake at the cabin you commit to going outside and sitting with your favorite cup of coffee and spending 5 minutes with God, talking to Him about all that you enjoy about His creation while listening to Him speak to your heart and mind about what He has planned for you in your life. Every time I’ve done this type of exercise, God always talks to me about how much He loves my neighbor, my fellow Hastings residence and the world. I’m almost always sent back from my vacation eager to connect to others for a significant purpose.

Maybe you could plan to sit lakeside with your kids on a In fact if I plant seeds of discontent I won’t get contented people. If I plant seeds of kindness I will eventually see kindness returned even if not by the person I expressed my gesture to. Sadly, many people thing they can break away from God’s design and plant seeds of division, hatred and rejection hoping to get a more pleasant society in the end. We see some folks clenching their fists in order to demand their rights, rather than sowing the seeds of involved citizenry and civility.

Think for a moment what you plan to plant today at work or at home. Will the harvest be simply more of what you sowed or are you expecting something else? God wrote simple words to a church we find in Galatians 5:19–23 The

Sunday morning and have your own personal church experience with a small, simple form of worship to God and taking turns sharing a favorite portion from God’s word. You don’t have to be an ordained minister to hang out with God.

Enjoying the summer in Minnesota is not sinful, nor is spending quality time with your family. Having fun is not absent from God’s list of things to do. However, we should not take a vacation from God. If you are not connected to a wonderful group of people who are identified as a church family, then maybe when you spend time interacting around issues of faith, you will grow to see the value in advancing God’s plan for humanity over advancing your own plan.

But what can you do with God if you’re taking on a summer job? Well, you can do your job as if you were working for God, and then your temporary employer gets blessed by your actions as you get paid. You can commit to using a small portion of your compensation to be generous to someone in need. You could acknowledge that God gave you the acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

So acknowledge that you are part of the farming community even if you live in the city and enjoy a wonderful harvest this season by planting great seeds. May God’s blessings be upon your life.

job, the income, and the talent to do the job, and help a local church advance the mission God has given them.

Colossians 3:23–24 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

As you can see, all of this is about planning to do something with your wonderful summer rather than just stumbling through it. God has a plan and He wants you to enjoy it, so plan Him in. It won’t happen by accident; because, far too many things seek to latch on to our lifeboat like zebra mussels and attempt to slow us down. God wants you free from the summer blahs, and get the most out of the life He has set before you. Have fun in the summer SON.

Written by Pastor Paris Pasch of The Journey Church in Hastings me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Did you notice the position of the players? They were to come together and be with Christ. Not come to church or come to some religious place but come to Him personally because we will find His presence there and that will be enough.

Maybe you need someone to come close today. Maybe you feel alone. Well, you have an invitation to find rest for your soul, don’t miss the opportunity.