Rest, Trust, and the God Who Provides

Rev. Erik Germesin • Rector
August 7, 2026

3 Minute Read

Dear Mosaic Family,

I hope this message finds you well. I'm grateful to be back in Pittsburgh from California and grateful for your prayers as my family and I grieve the loss of my Grandmother Virginia. I was able to arrive last week on Wednesday and went directly to the hospital from the airport to pray the Liturgy for the Dying with her and my family. She passed a few moments before the final amen and less than 30 minutes after I arrived surrounded by people who loved her. To be there for this was truly a gift.

I want to give thanks to Dcn. Jason as he preached this week! What a meaningful Sunday it was as we stepped together into our Sabbath month. Whether you were with us in person or joined online, we are grateful for your presence. Below is a brief recap of Dcn. Jason's message for your reflection throughout the week.

The sermon explored the connection between Sabbath rest and genuine trust in God's provision. Drawing from the feeding of the five thousand in Matthew 14, the manna in the wilderness from Exodus 16, and Psalm 92, the message challenged us to examine two deeply held assumptions that keep us from true rest: the fear that there will not be enough if we stop striving, and the doubt that we are worthy of rest without first earning it. Both questions were answered not with self-help strategies, but with the grace of a God who provides freely, acts first, and invites us simply to receive. The cross of Christ was held up as the foundation of it all, the reason rest, salvation, and God's love are given to us without strings attached.

Takeaways:

Sabbath is not earned, it is a gift. Just as Adam and Eve's first full day of existence was a day of rest before they had done any work, and just as Israel received freedom before they received the law, God's invitation to rest comes before our striving, not after it.
The gap between what we know to be true and what we can actually receive does not close through harder effort. As Ezekiel 36 describes, God promises to take the initiative himself, placing his own spirit within us and moving us gently across that gap in ways we could never manufacture on our own.
We cannot proclaim what we have not stopped long enough to see. Worship and Sabbath are not separate things. When we stop, look at who God is, and allow ourselves to be planted among his people, our lives become a testimony to his faithfulness, bearing fruit not because we worked for it, but because we were planted.

As you move through this week, carry with you the one question offered at the close of the sermon: What would one ordinary day look like if you already believed the answer was yes, absolutely yes? Not a new habit to master, just one day where you stop gathering on your day off and let God show you how faithful he is.

Grace and peace to you,

Pastor Erik+

PS: Want a cup of coffee with me? (Schedule a time)

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August 7, 2026 • 3 Minute Read

Rest, Trust, and the God Who Provides

Dear Mosaic Family, I hope this message finds you well. I'm grateful to be back in Pittsburgh from California and grateful for your prayers as my family and I grieve the loss of my Grandmother Virginia. I was able to arrive last week on Wednesday and went directly to the hospital from the airport to pray the Liturgy for the Dying with her and my family. She passed a few moments before the final amen and less than 30 minutes after I arrived surrounded by people who loved her. To be there for this was truly a gift. I want to give thanks to Dcn. Jason as he preached this week! What a meaningful Sunday it was as we stepped together into our Sabbath month. Whether you were with us in person or joined online, we are grateful for your presence. Below is a brief recap of Dcn. Jason's message for your reflection throughout the week. The sermon explored the connection between Sabbath rest and genuine trust in God's provision. Drawing from the feeding of the five thousand in Matthew 14, the manna in the wilderness from Exodus 16, and Psalm 92, the message challenged us to examine two deeply held assumptions that keep us from true rest: the fear that there will not be enough if we stop striving, and the doubt that we are worthy of rest without first earning it. Both questions were answered not with self-help strategies, but with the grace of a God who provides freely, acts first, and invites us simply to receive. The cross of Christ was held up as the foundation of it all, the reason rest, salvation, and God's love are given to us without strings attached. Takeaways: Sabbath is not earned, it is a gift. Just as Adam and Eve's first full day of existence was a day of rest before they had done any work, and just as Israel received freedom before they received the law, God's invitation to rest comes before our striving, not after it. The gap between what we know to be true and what we can actually receive does not close through harder effort. As Ezekiel 36 describes, God promises to take the initiative himself, placing his own spirit within us and moving us gently across that gap in ways we could never manufacture on our own. We cannot proclaim what we have not stopped long enough to see. Worship and Sabbath are not separate things. When we stop, look at who God is, and allow ourselves to be planted among his people, our lives become a testimony to his faithfulness, bearing fruit not because we worked for it, but because we were planted. As you move through this week, carry with you the one question offered at the close of the sermon: What would one ordinary day look like if you already believed the answer was yes, absolutely yes? Not a new habit to master, just one day where you stop gathering on your day off and let God show you how faithful he is. Grace and peace to you, Pastor Erik+ PS: Want a cup of coffee with me? (Schedule a time)

Rev. Erik Germesin

Rector