Happy Father's Day: We thank and acknowledge all those who are in fatherly roles in someone's life.

"But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
-Romans 5:8, ESV

NEXT STEPS

1. Join the fun at Pathways Intergenerational Bowling Night this coming Wednesday, June 19, hosted by the Personnel Committee. There are discount codes on the RSVP form down to $5/person, as we don't want money to be a barrier to participation
Even if you're just coming to cheer, please register with the $0 ticket. It helps us to know how many to prepare for.
The youth group and some of our children will be there. Will you show them how much they mean to us by supporting / cheering / getting to know some of them?
Please use the link below to RSVP and let us know that you are coming.

2. Juneteenth acknowledging the end of slavery in the U.S. "It is another step towards our ultimate goal of progress, and an affirmation that we as a nation embrace freedom for all."

Events that are ongoing at Pathways:
There's a place for everyone to plug-in and get to know one another.

Join a Group! See our new website page (link below).

Greet One Another: We want to share the many ways that the Pathways Deacons serve our church family and community. We are so thankful for their selfless service as they love and care for others. They are the hands and feet of Christ in our community.

Sermon: Sabbath Series: Jesus Is Our Rest
Rev. Paula Moutsos, Pastor of Discipleship and Missions
Matthew 12:1-14 (ESV)

Wisdom and Sabbath Rest by Tim Keller
The purpose of Sabbath is not simply to rejuvenate yourself in order to do more production, nor is it the pursuit of pleasure. The purpose of Sabbath is to enjoy your God, life in general, what you have accomplished in the world through his help, and the freedom you have in the gospel—the freedom from slavery to any material object or human expectation. The Sabbath is a sign of the hope that we have in the world to come.

SABBATH “PRACTICALS”
1. TAKE SOME TIME FOR SHEER INACTIVITY.Most people need some time every week that is unplanned and unstructured, in which you can do whatever you feel like doing. If your Sabbath time is very busy and filled with scheduled activities of “recreation” and ministry, it will not suffice. There must be some cessation from activity or exertion. This pause in the work cycle is analogous to Israel’s practice of letting a field lie fallow every seventh year to produce whatever happened to grow (Leviticus 25:1–7). The soil rested so over-farming would not deplete its nutrients and destroy its ability to keep producing. Whatever came up in the soil came up. You need some unscheduled time like that every week to let come up—out of the heart and mind— whatever will.

2. TAKE SOME TIME FOR AVOCATIONAL ACTIVITY.
An avocation is something that is sheer pleasure to you, but that does require some intentionality and gives some structure to your Sabbath rest. In many cases an avocation is something that others do for ”work,” which is analogous to occasionally planting a different crop in a field to replenish the nutrients and make the soil more fertile for its normal crop. Include these elements:
You need some contemplative rest.
Prayer and worship are a critical part of Sabbath rest, from any perspective. Regular time for devotion, reading the Scripture, and listening to God forms the basis for inner rest and provides time away from the more exhausting exertions of life.
You need some recreational rest.
The Puritans and others were rightly skeptical of recreations that required spending a great deal of money and time and exertion, because those types of recreations exhaust people. Be careful that recreation really refreshes.
You need to include aesthetic rest.
Expose yourself to works of God’s creation that refresh and energize you, and that you find beautiful. This may mean outdoor things. It may mean art—music, drama, and visual art. God looked around at the world he made and said it was good, so aesthetic rest is necessary for participating in God’s Sabbath fully.

3. CONSIDER WHETHER YOU ARE AN INTROVERT OR AN EXTROVERT.
When planning your Sabbath rest, ask yourself what really “recharges” you. This self-assessment can help you determine how relational your Sabbath time should be. Introverts tend to spend their energy when out with people and recharge their batteries by being alone. Extroverts tend to spend energy in personal work and recharge their batteries by getting out with people. If you are a real introvert, be careful about trying to maintain all of your community-building relationships during your Sabbath time. That would be too draining. On the other hand, relationship-building could be one of the greatest things a true extrovert could possibly do. Don’t try to imitate an introvert’s Sabbath rhythms if you are an extrovert or vice versa! Recognize that some avocational activities take you into solitude, while some take you out into society.

4. DON’T NECESSARILY COUNT FAMILY TIME AS SABBATH TIME.
Do a realistic self-assessment of “family time” and how it affects you. Family time is important, but parents need to be very careful that they don’t let all of their regular Sabbath time be taken up with parental responsibilities. (Introverts especially will need time away from the kids!) Keeping all of these things in good balance may be virtually impossible when your children are very young, but this too will pass.

5. HONOR BOTH MICRO- AND MACRO-RHYTHMS IN YOUR SEASONS OF REST.
Israel’s Sabbath cycles of rest-and-work included not only Sabbath days but also Sabbath years and even a Year of Jubilee every forty-nine years (Leviticus 25:8–11). This is a crucial insight for workers in today’s world. It is possible to voluntarily take on a season of work that requires high energy, long hours, and insufficient weekly-Sabbath time. A new physician has to work long hours in a residency program, for example, and many other careers (such as finance, government, and law) similarly demand some sort of initial period of heavy, intense work. Starting your own business or pursuing a major project like making a movie will require something similar. In these situations you have to watch that you don’t justify too little Sabbath by saying you’re “going through a season”—when in actual fact that season never ends.
If you must enter a season like this, it should not last longer than two or three years at the most. Be accountable to someone for this, or you will get locked into an “under-Sabbathed” lifestyle, and you will burn out. And during this “under-Sabbathed” time, do not let the rhythms of prayer, Bible study, and worship die. Be creative, but get it in.

Benediction:
"Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom. One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts."
-Psalm 145:3-4

Pray With An Elder:
Our Elders are available following the service to pray with you! Share the burdens of your heart with a Pathways Elder and let them comfort you with prayer. God hears the prayers of His people.