“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Psalm 19:1

” ᕿᓔᑦ ᓇᓗᓁᕐᓯᕗᑦ ᒎᑎᐅᑉ ᐱᓐᓇᕐᓇᕐᓂᖓᓂᒃ; ᕿᓚᖕᒥᓗ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᔪᑦ ᐊᒡᒐᖏᑕ ᓴᓇᓯᒪᔭᖏᑦ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᕗᑦ.” ᐃᓐᖏᕈᑎᑦ 19:1

It is a good and blessed thing to make time for rest, refreshment, and sabbath. I especially believe it is good to get away from all the man-made distractions of our lives and re-connect with God out in nature. As we read in Genesis, we were originally created to “walk with God in the cool of the day” in the garden that God planted, and part of our eternal hope in Jesus is to gather together with all the faithful in the City of God, with the Tree of Life at the center (Revelation 22:2). In fact, throughout scripture, leaders, prophets, families, and even Jesus Himself makes time to retreat out into the wilderness to seek God’s voice

ᐱᐅᓂᒃᓴᐅᖖᒪᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓴᐃᒻᒪᓇᖅᑐᓪᓗᓂ ᐅᓇᒍᐃᖅᓯᖅᓂᕐᖕᒥᒃ, ᑕᖃᐃᖅᓂᖅ, ᐊᒻᒪ ᓴᐸᑎᐅᑉ ᐅᑉᓗᐊᓂ. ᐅᕙᖓ ᐅᒃᐱᕆᕙᕋ ᐱᐅᓂᖅᓴᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᑕᖃᐃᖅᓴᕆᐊᖅᓂᕐᖕᒥᒃ ᐊᓯᐊᓄᑦ ᑕᒻᒪᑯᐊ ᐃᓅᑉ ᓴᓇᓚᐅᖅᑕᐃᑦ ᓱᓐᓇᓕᒫᑦᑎᐊᑦ ᐃᓅᓯᑉᑎᖕᓂᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᒎᑎ ᖃᓂᓐᓂᖅᓴᕆᓕᖅᓗᒍ ᑖᐅᕙᓐᓂ ᓄᓇᒥ. ᐅᖃᓕᒪᖅᑕᑉᑎᖕᓂ ᒨᓯᓯᑦ ᓯᕗᓪᓖᑦᓂ, ᐃᓅᑎᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᒐᑦᑕ “ᐱᓱᖃᑎᒋᓗᒍ ᒎᑎ ᓂᒡᓕᓇᖅᑑᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᑕᓐᓇ ᐅᑉᓗᖅ” ᑕᒃᕙᓐᓂ ᐱᕈᖅᓰᕕᖕᒥ ᒎᑎᐅᑉ ᓴᓇᓚᐅᖅᑕᖓᓐᓂ, ᑕᐃᒪᓗ ᐃᓅᓯᓕᒪᑉᑎᖕᓂ ᓂᕆᐅᖕᓂᖃᖅᓗᑕ ᔩᓱᓯᒥᒃ ᑲᑎᖃᑎᒌᓕᖅᓗᒍ ᐅᒃᐱᖅᑑᖃᑎᒌᑦ ᐃᒡᓗᒐᓴᒃᔪᐊᖁᑎᓂ ᒎᑎᐅᑉ, ᐃᒡᓗᒐᓴᒡᔪᐊᑦ ᐊᖁᑎᖓᑕ ᕿᑎᖓᒎᖓᔪᒥᒃ; ᑰᒡᓗ ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᐊᑭᓕᕇᓂᒃ, ᓇᐹᖅᑐᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᐆᒪᓇᖅᑐᓂᒃ, ᐸᐅᕐᖓᖃᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᐊᑦᔨᒌᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᖕᑉ-ᓂᒃ ᑕᕿᑕᒫᑦ ᐸᐅᕐᖓᖅᑖᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᓂᒃ; ᓇᐹᖅᑐᐃᓪᓗ ᐅᖃᐅᔭᖏᑦ ᐋᕿᒃᑕᐅᑦᔪᑎᒃᓴᐅᕗᑦ ᐃᓅᖃᑎᒌᒡᔪᐊᓄᑦ. ᔪᐊᓇᓯᐅᑉ ᑕᑯᑎᑕᐅᓂᖏᑦ 22:2. ᐄᒻᒪᒃ, ᐃᑉᕈᕈᐃᑦ ᐃᓗᐊᓐᓂ, ᓯᕗᓕᖅᑏᑦ, ᐊᔪᕆᖅᑐᐃᔩᓪᓗ, ᐃᒡᓗᒥᐅᖃᑎᒌᓪᓗ, ᐊᒻᒪ ᔩᓱᓯ ᑕᓐᓇᑐᐊᖅ ᓄᓇᒧᐊᖃᑕᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᕿᓂᖅᓱᓂ ᒎᑎᐅᑉ ᓂᐱᖓᓂ.

As you travel this summer, remember your heritage and the great tradition handed down from those who have gone before. When you’re out on the land “remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy” (Deuteronomy 5:12). This is important for all of us, but I will say it is especially important if you are out with your family, as God calls us to instruct the next generation by word and example.

If you are going out to camp or to your cabin, take even 10 or 15 minutes on Sunday to gather, read a lesson from the Gospels, thank God for His blessings, pray for your church family and friends at home, and pray the Lord’s Prayer together.

ᐃᖏᕐᕋᓲᑕᕆᑎᓪᓗᓯ ᐊᐅᔭᐅᓂᕐᖕᒥ, ᐃᖃᐅᒪᓯᐅᒃ ᑭᖑᕚᕆᔭᕗᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᓕᖁᓯᕆᓚᐅᖅᑕᖏᑦ ᖃᐃᑕᐅᓯᒪᓚᐅᕐᖕᒪᑕ ᑭᖑᕙᕆᔭᑉᑎᖕᓂᑦ. ᓄᓇᒥᑎᓪᓗᑎᑦ “ᐅᑉᓗᖅ ᓴᐸᑎᐅᔪᖅ ᑲᒪᒋᑦᓯᐊᕈᒃ, ᐃᑦᔪᕐᖕᓇᐃᑎᓪᓗᒍᓗ, ᐊᑕᓂᐅᑉ ᒎᑎᑦᓯ ᑕᐃᒫᒃ ᐱᖁᓚᐅᕐᖕᒪᓯ.” ᒨᓯᓯᑦ ᑕᓪᓕᒪᖏᑦ 5:12. ᑕᓐᓇ ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐅᓂᖅᐸᖑᕗᖅ ᐅᕙᑉᑎᖕᓄᑦ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂᒃᓕ ᐅᖃᓪᓚᖕᓂᐊᖅᐳᖓᓕ ᐃᒡᓗᒥᐅᖃᑎᑎᑦ ᓄᓇᒧᐊᖃᑎᒋᓗᒋᑦ ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐅᕗᖅᓗ, ᒎᑎᐅᑉ ᐱᑦᖁᕆᖓ ᐅᕙᑉᑎᖕᓄᑦ ᑭᖑᕙᕆᓂᐊᖅᑕᑉᑎᖕᓄᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐱᓂᐊᖅᓂᑉᑎᒍᓪᓗ.

ᓄᓇᒧᑦ ᐊᐅᓪᓚᖅᓂᐊᕈᑉᓯ ᐅᕝᕙᓗᓐᓂᑦ ᑐᐱᖅᐸᓕᐊᖅᓂᐊᕈᑉᓯ, ᓴᓐᓇᑦᑕᐃᓕᐅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᓯᕕᑭᑦᑐᒥᒃ ᐃᓚᒌᖑᔪᓯ ᑐᒃᓯᐊᖅᓗᓯ, ᐅᖃᓕᒪᖅᓗᓯ ᒎᔅᐱᓖᑦᓂ, ᖁᔭᓕᓗᒍ ᒎᑎ ᓴᐃᒻᒪᖅᑎᑕᐅᓂᑉᑎᖕᓂ, ᑐᒃᓯᐊᕈᑎᒋᓗᒍ ᑐᒃᓯᐊᖅᕕᓕᐊᖃᑕᖅᑐᓪᓗ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᓚᓐᓇᕆᔭᑎᑦ ᓄᓇᒋᔭᕐᖕᓂ, ᐊᒻᒪ ᔩᓱᓯᐅᑉ ᑐᒃᓯᐊᖅᓂᖓ ᐊᑐᖅᓗᒍ ᐊᑕᐅᑎᒃᑯᑦ.