Page 44 - Robeson Living Fall 2018

By Pastor Charles P. Locklear

For many folks, summer time is the best time of the year. mer months, knowing that our congregations will likely be
Summer time presents opportunities for activities that or- missing people every Sunday morning. Our hope is that
dinarily cannot be experienced during the other seasons of when summer passes, our congregation will find their way
the year. For children and young people, summer is a time back to the church.
of freedom. Freedom from the stress of school. Freedom
from the dread of homework. For adults there is the pos- I am of course, “Happy” when people can afford to have
sibility of freedom from the stress of a job. Even if that vacations and time away from their jobs and all the other
freedom last for only a few days. It is anticipated, planned many responsibilities that most families deal with day after
for, budgeted for and given a place of great importance on day. Even Jesus Himself, would take the opportunity to slip
the family calendar. away from the busy life he had come to know after entering
His public ministry, to rest and be refreshed. He would slip
I love the summertime. But I am very much aware of the away from the city and the crowds, but never away from the
serious threat summer time holds, in relationship to our presence of His Heavenly Father. His retreats never caused
spiritual lives and our commitment to spiritual matters. Him to lose sight of Gods purpose and plan for His life. His
Vacations and weekends away mean Sundays away from time alone provided Him the opportunity for reflection and
Church. After missing one Sunday, it seems easier to miss renewal and would always lead to an affirmation of His
another. Even the faithful are faced with the challenge of commitment to do the will of His heavenly Father. It chal-
keeping our relationship to God and our commitment to lenges us to face the question of, what has the summer done
the local church very much alive. As a Pastor of 40 years, to our walk with God. Are we closer to Him because of the
I join most other pastors in the dread of facing the sum- wonderful opportunities summer has provided us? Has our