NO DOG DAYS FOR ME!
July is often called the beginning of the “dog days of summer” when summer’s hot sultry weather begins. Named after the victorious Roman General, Julius Caesar, it is traditionally the hottest month of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and the coldest month of the year in the Southern Hemisphere. For most Americans, its first weekend falls as part of our Fourth of July celebration with barbecues, picnics, parades, campouts, and neighborhood firework shows. I don’t know if you know it or not, but July is also National Hot Dog Month as well as National Ice Cream Month. Both items are staples of family barbecues and get-togethers. Of course we at Lincoln Community Church will gather on the Fourth and have our hamburgers as well as our hot dogs and we won’t forget the ice cream. I hope you will plan to be with us for a special gathering of fellowship after our worship service.
In some ways, this Fourth of July will mark the freedom we are beginning to have from the grips of the Covid-19 Pandemic. It has been almost a year and a half since we were plunged into isolation, quarantines, mask wearing, and social distancing. While the war on this virus is not entirely over, yet the battles that have been waged and won by our medical workers and CDC researchers have begun to drive the enemy from our presence. Let us all continue to remain vigilant, practicing good health habits, taking nothing for granted, and thanking God for our safety.
As you and I celebrate this Fourth of July, let us celebrate the freedoms we have and the freedoms we strive to offer in this great land of the USA. Let us use our freedom of expression less for protest and more for progress. “We pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another” (Rom 14:19). The economic and emotional impact of the pandemic is still felt by many. As we celebrate freedom, let us use our freedom to help mend wounds and encourage hearts. “Exercise your freedom by serving God, not by breaking the rules. Treat everyone you meet with dignity. Love your spiritual family. Revere God. Respect the government” (1 Peter 2:16,17 The Message Bible).
Hot or cold, lets enjoy the sunshine and work to let the Son shine in our lives and in the lives of our neighbors. Celebrate the freedom of America but above all honor and practice the freedom we have in Christ by making known the liberation from the kingdom of darkness available to those yet dominated by the “dog days” of sin. Pastor Mike
