Sermonette: August 29, 2022

Greetings dear friends in Christ.

I think that for many, if not most, August is not a month where we look both backward and forward. January 1, New Year's Day would seem more appropriate for that kind of thing. With the beginning of a new year, we think of resolutions to make and eventually break. After all, nobody actually keeps a New Year's resolution. Maybe, as individuals we might use a birthday or anniversary as a time of reflection. But August? The end of August? Why would we choose now for that type of thinking?

I'm thinking it is a great time for some self-reflection. There are so many things that are about to begin, or even have already begun, that it would be a good thing for us to take stock of what we've done and where we are. The most obvious happening this time of year is the beginning of a new school year. For students as well as for some teachers. It is ‘so long,’ to the idle summer days and ‘hello’ to classrooms and textbooks. It is ‘so long’ with evenings with nothing to do and ‘hello’ to homework. For first graders, freshmen, a teacher's first year of teaching at a new school or even fresh out of college and now the first year of teaching anywhere.

In the world of sports, the summer games are winding down and heading towards playoffs and championships. The fall sports are just beginning. Some high school games have already been played. As with academics we have new beginnings here also. New coaches, new players, from every level from grade school to professional leagues, all may be wondering how the season will play out.

For those with lake homes, the end of August is a time to think about shutting down for the year. Steps are taken to make sure they will be secure for the winter. Swimming and water skiing are about done for the year. Also, we live in an agricultural area and August is a pivotal month. Harvest time is upon us and how well it goes has a lot to do with our future, both immediate and long range. Many businesses in rural areas depend on farming. If it turns out to be a bad year for agriculture, the effect is felt in towns as well.

All I've written here so far is pretty basic information and certainly isn't monumental news. The key to what I'm getting at here is in the opening paragraph. This is a good time to reflect on what we've done and what we will choose to do when looking forward. When summer came, did we leave God in the closet with our winter clothes? Were funerals and weddings the only time we entered a church building? Was the TV guide the only reading we did while our bibles sat on the shelf gathering dust? I think summertime presents a unique opportunity for reading our bibles. Think of being at a lake cabin. The activities for the day are over and the sun is about to set. The lake is so quiet and all we hear are small waves gently reaching the shore. What a great time to thank God for his wonderful creation. What a great time to read his word. Who reads their bible on the porch in January when the wind is blowing and it is 20 below zero? August can be a great time to decide on a bible reading plan. Don't start with an hour a day regimen. That is too hard to maintain. I would suggest starting with some of the good old bible stories in Genesis and Exodus. Stories like Noah and the Ark and Moses parting the sea come to mind. Rather read the New Testament? Mark is the shortest of the Gospels and a good read. Luke's gospel probably has the most well known telling of the Christmas story. Let this time in August be your new beginning in bible reading. And let's not forget prayer either. No matter if you've fallen out of practice, it is never too late to start or restart. I suggest with starting small. Don't try to see how long you can keep it going. Just a few words thanking God for each day is sufficient. You will be surprised how much you will end up talking to God. The key is starting now and sticking to it. The same with church attendance. Again, the key is starting. Go by yourself or with a friend. Many churches have coffee and cookies before or after where you can visit with friends. Once you get started, you will look forward to it instead of looking for a reason to not go. If you spent the summer without the bible, without prayer, without church, without God, my prayer is that as you look forward from the end the summer season in August, these things will be part of your future. God's peace and blessings to you.