Wake me up when September begins

gratuitous clip art for your viewing pleasure

The feeling is new and familiar all at once...

September is a month that comes with the tag: "transition." When Labor Day comes around I start talking about school despite the fact it doesn't really affect me all that much personally. I start looking at the leaves a little closer, knowing their days are numbered. I keep the windows rolled up, think about the health of our furnace, and repeatedly look for socks.
And I blog. 

There's a myriad of reasons that it makes sense, but it's also sometimes strange to think about how much the typical church schedule is found to be in sync with the school's: 

* January brings a lot of cold and a lot of gray and the occasional snow day on Sundays

* March and April bring Easter and the new life that accompanies it, we're often a little early with our optimism on the weather and the upcoming baseball season.

* June seems endlessly liberating as schedules change dramatically. Schools close and so do small groups. Families and youth groups go camping. And flip-flops...just flip flops.

* Of course December is a really hopeful time the Advent of Christmas Break, the peace on earth and goodwill toward teachers, the magic of a King born in a manger.

* And there is this present reality known as September where footballs fly, Kids are movin' on up in the grand hierarchy of children's church, patterns are re-established and sermon series' begin. And I blog.

It seems every September I find the necessary time and space to write again. I begin with gusto and zeal aplenty, but like the wave at the ballgame I've failed to make it all the way around the first few tries. Perhaps this is the year where the momentum will carry me through (as John Mayer sings in my head "I'll be alright if it was just till St. Patrick's Day").

So here's to my own mythical new year's day: September 6. Resolutions abound, and high on my list is to write here three days a week...back at it again, dissecting the intersection. When I read the words of Jesus I am amazed by his deep understanding of the culture in which he resided. He was fully in-tune with the daily realities of His audience. This is a great challenge for any pastor to follow His lead. I have the highest of hopes that Jesus' words, which were spoken on this earth generations ago, have pin-point relevance in 2011, and will continue to carry such weight for generations to come. So at least for a few months, until I flame out of course, I will be working through things that Jesus said and exploring the endless connections to our culture* here and now (*insert disclaimer/joke on being from the Midwest here). 

And so I fully plan on writing again tomorrow, and I fully plan on starting with "blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven," (Matthew 5:3). I also fully know myself, and will be pleasantly surprised if I do. So here's to September resolutions and the start of a new year. Cheers (cue: Auld Lane Syne)