Summer Reading: Galatians

If you do a Google search on “summer reading,” you’ll find a list of suggestions ranging from children’s classics to mystery thrillers.  Amazon.com claims “everyone will be reading” The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, Barnes & Noble offers Jane O’Connor’s Fancy Nancy for the kids, and Oprah’s summer reading list includes Dickens forgotten classic Dombey and Son.  Whether it’s a full length novel, a magazine from the check-out line rack, or a set of short stories on your electronic reader of choice, summer is the season for people to “catch up on their reading.”  The pace of the “dog days” of summer and the extended day-light hours make it the perfect time to curl up with a good read!

A few Sundays ago, I joined in with a “recommendation” of my own!  The ancient letter to the church in Galatia, written by the Apostle Paul is my choice for this summer.  It’s the kind of book you can read through in one setting, but it’s also the kind of book you can ponder and meditate on one passage at a time.  I began teaching from this biblical book a few weeks ago (you can listen to that message here), and this Sunday I’ll be continuing this summer series.

Galatians 5:13 claims that we “have been called to live in freedom.”  And what better subject for us to explore on this Sunday, July 4th than “freedom!”  But it’s not the same kind of freedom you’ll hear about in patriotic songs or cable news documentaries on the United States’ independence.  I want to invite you to gather for worship with The Bridge this Sunday and discover more about the true freedom offered by Jesus Christ – the kind of freedom that leads to giving your life away to something bigger than yourself!  Oh, and don’t forget about your summer reading!