• Only 3 more long weekends until Labour Day is over and school is back in (95 days until school starts)
• Our last snowfall in Saskatchewan should happen within the next 10 days
• May long weekend is the first 3 days of intensive training of our bodies to fend off the mosquito’s poison and build up immunity . . .
• May long weekend is the first 3 evenings to get our lungs used to inhaling campfire smoke . . .
• You’ve already put away the winter coats for the year but you pull them out one last time to go camping and man are you glad you did. (4 ° C this am with a stiff wind)

The May long weekend is a signpost for summer in Saskatchewan and a few things just naturally happen during this weekend that push us into a different space in our lives. The first is that we have a little more down time – this next work week for a lot of people us will be shortened and we will have one more day to be with family or one more day to try out those new golf clubs or go for a long walk or do some yard stuff.

So there will be time this week if we choose it to break out of our regular routines for a day or so and slow things down a wee bit, and if we manage that extra day well that slow down, may spill into the rest of next week. Doesn’t that sound good? Long weekends in the summer if we choose to can also provide us with something else that we don’t really get to experience very often . . . stop time. We could choose this weekend to just stop every thing we’re doing for a few hours, not just slow it all down for a day, but actually stop everything. We could stop and look at our lives or we could stop and look at our relationships or we could stop and look at our families or we could stop and look at some of God’s creation because when we stop everything that we’ve got spinning in our lives even if it’s just for a few moments or even if it’s just for a few hours, when we stop and then lift our heads every thing looks different you know.

On Thursday our staff here at the church had an opportunity to have a retreat and learning day at a very cool place near Borden, Saskatchewan. It was an awesome day and we learned lots together and all that, but on the way out to Borden in the middle of all the conversation and in the middle of all the driving and commotion I just stopped inside myself for a couple minutes to look at the river valley as we went through it – and you know what? – It didn’t take very long - like 45 seconds to put my head and my heart and my soul in a different space that valley is beautiful. And that different space happened only because I stopped and then lifted my head and looked and very suddenly I saw beauty, and I appreciated creation and in that moment I had a more thankful spirit – and almost instantly I filled up with a more heightened sense of joy and a little more peace. It was amazing really that in the space of about 90 seconds I could receive so much more life and become much more alive. Just by stopping and looking.

So what’s my point, well often our lives during the summer, and especially on long weekends in the summer get filled up with so much extra stuff – we do extra work or we travel extra miles, we just do extra stuff. Or we just indulge a little more in everything that we don’t normally get to indulge in, like food or recreation or social interaction or we indulge in that to do list that is never ending around our homes and we do all this stuff and we just get more and more busy. Now what I’m suggesting here is that all the things I just described might be good and fun and a normal way to spend your long weekend this summer, but I’d like to offer you another view of how we might approach these summer weekends. A view that involves words like slow down and stop and look and listen and less and more. Proverbs 4:23 – Covering for this time we have together.

Let me tell you what I’m trying to do with my summer – I’m trying not to miss it - sounds kinda funny right? I’m just gonna try and not miss it because there’s a pretty big to do list happening in our world especially here at the church – and that to do list could easily take over everything in my world in the next 4 months if I let it. And summer could run by me as quickly as driving through the river valley on the way to Borden and I just don’t want to miss the opportunity of this summer. And all of us have that list of stuff that needs to get done,that yard work, that weekend with friends - that we’ve been putting off. – that wedding - that we have to go to, that family reunion - that we’re supposed to go to and all of us have that list of “to do’s” or “wants” or “indulgences” that we’ve left. And all of us have that want for “more and better” this summer, but what I’m saying today is that instead of more is better – maybe it’s less is more and maybe less is actually better.

So, I got thinking about all of us here at Lakeview and about all the families and friends and neighbors we have influence with in our lives it really is amazing that the 1000 or so people here this weekend probably have influence in the lives of 10,000 people in this city. So I got thinking in terms of the what “if’s” of those numbers - and that is a lot of fun for me. To think about the impact we have on this city.

So here are some of those what if’s. What if, you and I intentionally chose to do our long weekends and then our summers and then our lives with a less is more mindset. Or with a less is better mindset and what if we got a whole lot bolder about saying no to even relatively important stuff. What would that look like? And how would that affect the people we have influence with in our lives. What would happen if a 1000 of us showed that kinda lifestyle to 10,000 other people.

And what would happen if we just stopped and lifted our heads and hearts a wee bit this summer. And what if when we stopped we intentionally focused and listened to God. And what if we were intentional about saying no to other stuff so we could say yes to developing our souls. And so we could say yes to resting our bodies and so we could say yes to uncluttering our minds and so we could say yes to investing in the relationships that matter the very most to life this summer.

Now – don’t get me wrong – following Jesus and doing the right things with our priorities really is an everyday – every hour – every minute kinda thing it’s not just a long weekends in the summer kinda thing.

I’m not suggesting that the way to follow Jesus is just to focus for an hour a day, or even for one day every long weekend and then you’ll be fine spiritually. No, being a Christ follower really does mean that you follow Him every minute of every day and that even in the midst of all the business and activity of life our spiritual life has to be fully engaged.

However, that being said I believe there is great merit in taking moments and days and long weekends to intentionally carve out space. To intentionally say yes to God and to say yes to what is vital to living. And also I believe that in order to get that carving done – In order to say yes to that – we must learn to say NO to a bunch of everything else. I just think that there are times when we must say no to the busyness and no to the extras and to the abundance and the indulgences that long weekends and summer and work and a busy social calendar and other people’s expectations can push into our lives.

So, my suggestion is this what if we used the long weekends and the extra days we may find in our lives this summer what if we used those days to stop the treadmill of life for a bit and then just look at Jesus. What if we intentionally took some extra time this summer to really examine the state of our spiritual lives. And what if we spent an unusual amount of time – like more than the usual amount of time developing our souls. What if we spend some extended time with Jesus - just connecting and communicating and hanging with Him. And then what if we asked Him to help us see our lives with a new set of eyes and what if we asked Him to see the reality of the state of our families and marriages with His wisdom. And what if we said no to trying to tackle all of our problems and crises on our own this summer. And what if we said yes to allowing God’s wisdom and strength and power to pour through us to tackle those issues and challenges.

What would happen do you think in our lives and souls and families and jobs and friendships and marriages if we said no to more stuff this summer in order to say yes to God. And to His influence in all those areas? I mean do you really think your life or your soul or your family or your job or your marriage would get worse or better if you said no to some things, in order to say yes to God?

Well my suggestion is that all that stuff wouldn’t get worse at all and that it would actually be much better because in life this paradox is truth. Less becomes more and actually less becomes exponentially better when God is our focus.

People, our lives will become more if we you just do less activity and focus on God more. I believe that.

But the only way to really figure out - the only way to test this paradox out whether less really is more it to try it.

Tonight – take communion – high moments in the life of the church – and so this week I spent some time reading the story of communion in the bible – the story of Jesus last supper with the 12 disciples - his 12 closest followers and friends. In fact it’s as I read that story and actually one particular verse in that story that kinda fed all the ideas I had for this weekend.

In Matthew 26 it talks about that last supper. Matt 26:20 & 26-29. So you hear the story. But look at verse 20 . . . “When evening came Jesus was reclining at the table with the twelve.” And in my head when I read that I just got a whole new picture of what it must have been like for those guys to follow Jesus and to know Him. “They reclined at the table with Jesus.” They laughed and told stories and had good conversation and ate a bit and shared life together and enjoyed the moments and had great communion together. They reclined at the table.

Isn’t that a different picture than most of us have about how to engage our spiritual lives? Isn’t that a different picture than most of us have about how to follow Jesus?

Those guys reclined at the table with Jesus spiritually and physically and emotionally and socially. He wasn’t an add on to the rest of their lives. . He was incorporated right into every area of their lives. In a very relaxed – laid back - natural – normal – long weekend kinda way.

Their lives were clearly engaged in their relationship with Christ 24 – 7 – 365, but it’s also interesting to note that as they reclined Jesus also got their attention and said Hey fellas stop what your doing for a minute or two and look at me and then He had communion with them. Death – Forgiveness. So, let’s try and put this all together.

So, what I thought would be an appropriate way to put these ideas into action is to actually take a bit of slow down and stop time right here – right now (now you’ve gotta work with me a bit). Because depending on who you are – or what personality type you are and especially depending on how comfortable you are in church this next exercise will either be really easy or a wee bit challenging.

If it’s your first weekend here – relax – it will be okay.

I’m gonna put 4 very simple questions up on the screen and what I’d like you to do is answer them for yourself.

4 Questions to Ask

• What area of your life do you need a breakthrough in this summer?

• What thing would you like God to make clear for you?

• What area do you need to rest and trust God in?

• What area do you need to engage your faith in?

And don’t just answer them on your own engage your faith - ask

God to help you pin-point the areas of your life that need to be addressed as you slow down and stop and listen to Him.

So have a look at those. Engage your mind and heart and faith and when you’re ready to write down a few thoughts do that and when you’ve thought through all this stuff, after we’ve spent some time reclining at the table hanging out with Jesus then we’ll take communion with Him.

Webster says, communion – means to talk together intimately – to share your thought and feelings.

So coming to this alter to commune with Jesus is a time to talk with Him intimately – to recline at His table – so share your thoughts and feelings.

It’s not a time to rush or to hurry through – it’s not a time to just do mechanically because you’ve done it so many times before.

And it’s not some thing to be frightened of – Jesus wants to meet with you and as you come to this alter – you can expect to commune with the best friend any of us will ever have. Communion – is also a time to receive forgiveness and grace and a time to have our souls washed and renewed. So as you come, be humble and contrite in your heart – confess those things that you struggle with. Confess the stuff that holds you back in your life and then receive His forgiveness and receive the power you need to change that can only come from God.

This alter has seen addictions be loosed and marriages that were broken come together again and relationships repaired and this alter has seen bodies healed and darkness turned to light.

So as you come – prepare to be touched by Christ.

So come – knee – take your time - open hands etc. and we’ll serve you

Offering plates at the alter.

4 questions – ask for answers or wisdom – take time with those before you come to this alter.