Minister's Message for July 2025

Dear all,

Here is my message for the summer month of July.

So, what is important about July? First of all, for many, it is a month for taking time to shift gears, to slow down, perhaps even to go on vacation. It is also a time to rejoice in the warmth after a very long and cold winter.

I found this online.  July is the seventh month of the year, known for being the warmest month in the Northern Hemisphere and the coldest in the Southern Hemisphere. It's a month of celebrations, particularly for Canada with Canada Day on July 1st and for the US with Independence Day on July 4th. The month is named after Roman dictator Julius Caesar.

It's a month that commemorates significant historical events, such as the French Revolutions and Bastille Day.

July's birthstone is the ruby, and its birth flowers are larkspur and water lily. The month is also known for the "dog days of summer" and is sometimes referred to as the "Hay month".

July is also known for food celebrations, including National Hot Dog Month and National Ice Cream Month in the United States.

July’s full moon, the “Buck Moon,” was named by Native American tribes and signifies the time when male deer sport fully grown velvety antlers. During the month, the zodiac shifts from Cancer, symbolizing home and nurturing, to Leo, representing strength and leadership, marking a cosmic energy shift.

Among July’s celestial displays is the Delta Aquariids meteor shower, which typically starts mid-July and sends around 20 “shooting stars” (aka meteoroids) across the sky per hour.

And summer weather played a role in the July 10, 1943, launch of Operation Husky, the massive Allied invasion of Sicily during World War II. The assault, which mobilized 150,000 troops, 3,000 ships and 4,000 aircraft, had been timed to take advantage of good weather, but unexpected storms nearly canceled it.

July is also National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month.

What truly matters, however, is why July is so important for you.

Historically, July is a month for family gatherings and reunions.  I certainly remember our summer gatherings. One was for my father's side of the family and the other for my mother's. Three-legged races, shoe scrambles, wheel-barrow races and many more events will remain with me always as memories of joyful, relational connectedness.

And so today, whenever the topic turns to childhood events, my heart and soul recreate fun times in community parks in small towns. Our families ate and played together with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. We all grew up far too fast and scattered to various parts of life. Some passed. But all are still immediately recalled in brief moments of reflection in this slow summer month of July.

Blessings.

Rev. Dr. Bruce Sweet