Do you need a vacation?

“My soul finds rest in God alone. My salvation is from him.”  (Psalm 62:1)
 
In the 1970s the Florida Department of Tourism ran a series of TV commercials that tried to convince people to make the “Sunshine State” a vacation destination. The commercials depicted people in various everyday scenes of hectic life — work piling up, kids arguing in the back seat of the car, a taxi not stopping for a rain-soaked couple — and the statement, “I need it bad,” to express the frazzled person’s desire to get away from it all.
Vacations have not always been a part of our culture. Even within the past couple of centuries, vacations were something that only the wealthy could take. In the U.S. vacations became more and more popular with the increase of car ownership. Nowadays everyone expects to be able to take a vacation, and many jobs provide paid time off for their employees.
Perhaps you’re still planning on getting your family vacation in before school starts up soon. Last month my family and I were blessed to be able to enjoy some relaxing time away exploring the North Shore along Lake Superior. It was great, and refreshing! Maybe you’ve already had your time away this summer and are now looking forward to your next trip. Vacations are a great time to leave behind all the regular cares and concerns of life, relaxing someplace away from home so that you can “recharge your batteries.” 
What if you could take a vacation every week? That would be crazy, right? Not at all. When you come to church, that’s a time for you to relax and recharge for the week ahead. At each worship service, God comes to you in his Word and takes away all that has been weighing you down – all your sins, worries, and cares.
God’s Son, Jesus Christ, came to this world for that very purpose: to give us true peace and rest. Jesus lived a perfect life for us. Then he took all of our sins and failures on himself and died on the cross for us. Thankfully, as he promised, three days later he rose victorious from the grave! His work of salvation was complete; we now have peace with God. By believing in our Savior Jesus, our sins are gone and we are forgiven. We do have true rest!
In that old commercial for Florida tourism, the featured line was, “When you need it bad, we’ve got it good.” How true that is about coming to God’s House. We all need it bad, and Jesus gives us everything that is good, very good. He blesses us, forgives us, and encourages us as we hear his Word and enjoy his Sacraments.
See you soon as we vacation at church together!