God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Corinthians 1:9)
I am looking forward to the start of the church program year. Of course, you might expect a pastor to write such things in a September newsletter, but it’s really true! I have missed Sunday school. Sitting around a table and studying with others has been a regular part of my Sunday mornings since I was an associate pastor in my first church. I have also missed singing in a choir, which I did in my previous church. So, I am ready to get into this new program year.
I know that summer is an important time to give volunteers and staff a break. And a church’s summer program is different than the rest of the year. Please take a look at the bulletin board in the hallway heading to the fellowship hall for the fantastic pictures of the summer program at First Presbyterian. The bible school looked like an amazing week, and I appreciate all that Ann Kiefer and her team did to make that happen. I hope it has been a good summer for everyone.
As I write this, it’s a rainy Labor Day evening, and golden and brown leaves on the ground are the signal that the season is changing. The official end of summer and beginning of fall is still a couple of weeks off (or so), and there will still be summer-like days ahead, but the start of school, the start of the fall program at the church, and the availability of pumpkin spice all signal what is ahead.
In Mary Oliver’s poem, March Meadow: Song for Autumn, she writes about leaves falling to the earth. Here is part of that poem:
In the deep falldon’t you imagine the leaves think howcomfortable it will be to touchthe earth instead of thenothingness of air and the endlessfreshets of wind?
Mary Oliver is a wonderful poet with a compelling story. Her words about leaves falling to the earth make me think about how much I feel grounded in the life and fellowship of a church family. I feel most grounded when I share in the life of a church in worship, study, fellowship, and in mission in its own community and beyond.
As I begin my first fall at First Presbyterian, I look forward to how we will be grounded in that together.
Peace in Christ,
Jon