Written by: Rev. Dr. Richard L. Shaw, Pastor

Here we are again – heading into another summer that we have never had before and once it is gone, it’s never comin’ back!  And what will you be doing this summer?  When it’s all over, what will you have to show for it?  More days at the beach?  More picnics?  Pretty much a repetition of last summer?  Or are you thinking and praying about how you can better serve God and His church this summer and bring more people to Jesus?  Are the specific things of God – worship and learning with the Body of Christ, finding ways of interesting your neighbor in the realities of Jesus Christ and His Church, talking to the family next door about coming to church with you next Sunday, etc.  Or do spiritual realities take second place behind cookouts and days at the beach?  The ancient people of Israel had a similar challenge it seems, as we read the short prophecy of Amos. In 8:5 the Lord tells Amos what God’s people are saying, “when will the New Moon be over that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat?  The people could hardly wait for the more spiritual realities of worship and fellowship with other believers, learning and studying his Word, singing the praises of God, could be over so they could get back to what they really want to be doing, viz., selling more of the produce so they could make more money to buy more luxuries.  Corporate worship, with all that it entailed, was only a secondary, obligatory, ritualistic function.  What really made the “juices” flow was the jingle of the money as it came in for the products.  We will have a powerful church as we put our priorities in proper place.