Brothers and sisters,
We are entering my favorite time of the year. Collectively known as the “-ber months” on social media, September, October, November, and December are popular with a lot of people. There are the holiday folks who look forward to the fact that three major holidays happen seem-ingly back-to-back-to-back: Halloween, then Thanksgiving, then Christmas. There are the cooking/baking types who look forward to the particular dishes and flavors that come in vogue during the “-ber months”: soups and stews, pies and cookies, cinnamon, ginger, clove, etc. There are also the, what I’ll call, “activity people” who love this time of year for the unique things that come around: ghost tours, hayrides, county/state fairs, caroling, etc. It seems like everyone has some special way of engaging with the “-ber months.”
The church also, obviously, has big events that hap-pen in the “-ber months”. Most churches have some sort of Fall Festival (including us—Saturday, October 31st this year) in October. A fair number will have some sort of Thanksgiving service or mission—whether they open it up to the community, partner with another church, or encourage church members to volunteer that week. And, of course, every church’s December is dominated by Advent and Christmas, for good reason! It is never a small thing to celebrate the birth of our Savior, nor is it something we should take for granted. But you’ll notice that still leaves one “-ber month.”
September has no major church holidays in it. We take a day off for Labor Day, sure, but there’s not really anything on the church calendar that demands the church’s attention. Which I think means September becomes this wonderful time of reflection and rejuvenation. Fall is not quite in full swing yet, meaning we still have longer days and higher temps that encourage us to be outside. Hallow-een is not dominating the airwaves yet, even though you can already buy Halloween candy. Children and youth are back in school, football is on again, and soon baseball will be entering its playoffs. September occupies this interest-ing space in the church calendar. It feels like a moment to breathe.
So, as our sermon series, “Come Away from Rush and Hurry,” comes to an end this
Sunday, I would encourage you all to see September as a month-long moment to catch your
breath. Take it as a time to slow down once more before the hustle and bustle of the other
three “-ber months” begins. Have a slow, easy supper on the back porch a few more times while the days are long. Watch—or go to—a football game and let that be your whole day. Let September be a month of preparation so that when October 1st comes around, you’re rested and ready!
Grace and peace,
Pastor Ben