Ahhh! It's that time of year...time when the smell of magic markers, crayons and scented ink fills the air....the time when--if you sit still and listen very carefully--you can hear the crack of new book binders being unhinged...the time of year when a symphony of alarm clocks reaches a crescendo, accentuated by the pitter patter of tiny (and not so tiny) feet scurrying about in a dance of early morning preparations....
Yes, it's...Back to School time!
Saying goodbye to summer vacation and returning to the discipline of the classroom was considered a childhood ritual for most of us. It was almost always met with mixed emotions, but eventually we resigned ourselves to accepting the cycle of discipline and vacation as the rhythm of life.
Our Christian education requires a similar rhythm, for we learn and grow best when we have a balance between rest and work. We grow from the disciplines of reading, praying and fasting. But, just like the physical growth spurts children experience during summer vacation, our times of resting in God and delighting in His creation yield significant spiritual growth, growth that is later guided and strengthened through the spiritual disciplines.
This fall, take some time to gaze at the changing colors of the leaves, observe the struggle between summer and fall as one season fights to hang on while the other fights to take over. Look and listen for God everywhere. Take what you experience and then get ready to go "Back to School." Revisit some of the fundamentals of the faith, like The 10 Commandments (and the two!) and John 3:16. Begin to appreciate them with new eyes.
Commit to attending a Bible Study on a regular basis--and don't be afraid to be the teacher's pet! Sit up front, ask questions, soak up everything you can. Do all of the homework assignments-- when the Pastor tells you to read a chapter of the Bible in its entirety following a sermon or lesson, actually do it! Take your Bible with you and study it like you're preparing for an exam--because you are!
Even if you've been out of school for many years and have been a Christian for many more years, let this time of year be an annual call to "study to show yourself approved." When it comes to learning the things of God, none of us--from the Pastor to the pew warmer--are ever to old to go Back to School.
BNcouraged!
Rev. Karen
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