Pastor’s thoughts for August, September

In the church we have a calendar which follows events in Jesus’ life and the life of the Church, like Christmas, Easter and Pentecost, but we also have a calendar which connects us to the world in which we live, we might focus on “work” on Labor Day and “love” on Valentines.

This August we will bless the children going back to school and continue to thank God for homegrown tomatoes and melons and family blessings.

In September we celebrate “International Day of Peace”. Last year we received origami cranes to remind us of Sadako Sasaki, the young Japanese girl victim in Hiroshima. This year we will watch the movie made of the popular musical called “Come From Away.” It’s the story of how the small town of Gander, Newfoundland welcomed and cared for 7,000 stranded airline passengers after 9/11.

I believe the church has a responsibility to help us grow closer in our relationships with God, and also to help us stand up for God’s goodness in the very real world around us every day.

Sometimes the journey is inward and sometimes it is outward, and but it is always a journey we make together. As we enter this season of transition from summer to fall, let’s also enter a season of growing commitment to actively care for those around us.