Pastor’s Letter

VACATION

As I sit to write the pastor’s letter for this editionof

The Oaks

, I am about to go on vacation. Here are afew thoughts about vacation I have gathered. Gene Per-rett tells about a man who returned to work after his va-cation and was asked whether he had gone on his usualcamping trip with his family. “No,” he replied, “we justopened all the doors, removed the window screens, ateoff dirty plates, and got the same ef-fect.” Joseph Salak observes that “thissummer one third of the nation will beill-housed, ill-fed and ill-clad. But theywill call it a vacation.” My own experi-ence has been more like that of theman who went on vacation to forgeteverything. He opened his suitcase atthe hotel on the first night out, andfound that he had indeed forgotten everything. RobertAiken would add that a “vacation is when you spendthousands of dollars to see what rain looks like in an-other part of the world.”So why do we go on vacations? We could stayhome and enjoy many of the same inconveniences. Onlyin America would someone leave a two hundred thou-sand dollar house to sleep in a tent for two weeks andcall it a vacation, it has been said. Without vacations, wemight never have known that road construction seasoncoincides with the tourist season other places too. Whydoes the church provide vacation time for the pastor andencourage him to get away? Surely it is not just a way of getting him out of their hair for a while.Actually vacation is an extension of the biblicalprinciple of Sabbath. The Sabbath was taught and prac-ticed by the Hebrew people of the Old Testament withthe justification that it was ordained by God. In the fourthcommandment they were told to remember the Sabbathday and keep it holy. It meant that one day in seven wasto be a day of rest. The explanation is that God createdthe world in six days, and rested on the seventh (Exodus20:8-11). We should follow that example.Jesus reinforced the idea of rest and time apartin the New Testament. He differed from the strictest in-terpreters of the Sabbath principle by heal-ing on the Sabbath, which they consideredto be working, and thus breaking the Sab-bath. His reply was that the Sabbath wasmade for humans, not the other wayaround (Mark 2:27). Jesus did believe intaking time away to rest, to pray and to pre-pare for things to come. In Mark 6:31, after the feeding of the 5000, he told his disciples to “Comeaway to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest awhile.” The narrative continues, “For many were comingand going, and they had no leisure even to eat.” Jesusdid it. He made his disciples do it. So I will do it too. I willtake a vacation.For your information, the occasion of this vaca-tion trip is celebration of our 40

wedding anniversary.God has blessed me with a wonderful wife, Ellen, whohas stuck with me for four decades. That calls for a cele-bration. And a vacation. We will travel to South Carolinato be with family, and more of the family will come thereto join us, from North Carolina, California and Illinois. Ihope to return refreshed and renewed for the work of ministry right here among you. I look forward to it.Pastor Jonathan Dixon

Riverton First United Methodist Church

UGUST

1, 2010

AKS

MISSION STATEMENT

Our mission is to draw people into relationshipwith Christ and the church and to lovingly challenge them to spiritual growth.

OUR VISION

A warm fellowship of Christians in the Rivertonarea, growing in numbers and spiritual stature,with facilities and programs to do ministry in thename of Christ, for generations to come.

August 2009

1 Sunday Friendship Day 9:30 AM, Worship, 10:30 AM, Sunday School, 11:30 AM, High School Youth2 Monday 7:00 PM, Board of Trustees3 Tuesday4 Wednesday5 Thursday6 Friday7 Saturday8 Sunday 9:30 AM, Worship, 10:30 AM. Sunday School9 Monday10 Tuesday 7:00 PM, United Methodist Women11 Wednesday12 Thursday13 Friday14 Saturday 7:30 AM, United Methodist Men15 Sunday9:30 AM, Worship, 10:30 AM, Sunday School, 11:30 AM, High School Youth, 6:30 PM, Fi-nance Committee, 7:15 PM, Administrative Council16 Monday17 Tuesday18 Wednesday19 Thursday20 Friday21 Saturday22 Sunday 9:30 AM, Worship, 10:30 AM, Sunday School23 Monday 6:00 PM, Staff-Parish Relations Committee24 Tuesday25 Wednesday26 Thursday27 Friday28 Saturday29 Sunday 9:30 AM, Worship, 10:30 AM, Sunday School30 Monday31 Tuesday

The United Methodist Women Will Meet:

Tuesday August 10th at 7:00 PM.

Carol Sims will be our speaker for United Methodist Women Sunday September 12thHostesses: are Nadine Mackenzie and Cheryl Beckner

We welcome all the ladies of the Church. Please come join us.

Come See Us At The Hall.

P.S. We still have Pecans left, pieces $7.00 halves $8.00. Call RoseHughes 629-9565, Barbara Rhodes 629-9247, Doris Lamkey 629-9556, Bonnie Klaves 629-9794—or—any member.P.S. Program Cheryl Beckner

Beckey, Harriet August 3

Caldwell, Sarah August 3Kleban, Virginia August 3Zapp, David August 3Eyer, JoAnna August 4McKenzie, Michael August 5Walters, Rachel August 6Klaves, Dennis August 13Julian, Jerry August 14Peel, Jeff August 17McKenzie, Hope August 17Rhodes, Barbara August 18Dial, Shawna August 19Fetter, Hilda August 22Baker, Pat August 25Hughes, Bob August 25Pearson, Craig August 25Klaves, Bonnie August 26Caldwell, Sharon August 29Lomelino, Hazel August 29Baumann, Kip August 31

HAPPY ANNIVERSARYHAPPY ANNIVERSARYHAPPY ANNIVERSARYHAPPY ANNIVERSARY

Jonathan & Ellen Dixon August 8, 1970Doranne & Jerry Julian August 14, 1967Melvin & Cheryl Allison August 14, 1965Barry & Tracy Tester August 19, 1978Tom & Sharon Stroisch August 28, 1999

Thanks to thosewho have done such a wonderful job withkeeping the Lawns mowed and manicuredso well!!!