I know that many of you are here on vacation. I admire you for your faithfulness. Even though you are on vacation, you have come to church. Vacations are wonderful opportunities to, as we say, "get away from it all." A period of time, set aside from life's daily difficulties, when we unburden. Where there are usually alarm clocks, there is sleeping in until ten. Where there were bran flakes at breakfast, now jelly­ filled doughnuts. The daily office grind is replaced with the arduous task of unfolding the canvas chair on the beach for the afternoon nap. God bless vacations... marvelous, annual unburdening.

Vacations can be difficult. My first ministerial job was as a chaplain at a family campground in Myrtle Beach. Don't laugh. Campgrounds need chaplains. I ministered to nearly ten thousa…