The song ‘It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year’ was popularized by Andy Williams the same year I was born, but it refers to a different season with a completely different purpose. Recently I was sharing with a co-worker that for me these weeks of fall are my favorite time of the year … if only the daylight would stick around a bit longer! 

For many, especially families, the weeks of September and October are filled to overflowing with activities that pull them one direction or another. Community festivals dot the calendar, and school fundraisers become more common. A new school year means meetings with school teachers and others as parents become more and more active in making sure they provide for their children.

I experience these busy schedules a bit differently. At St. John’s, the season brings more and more opportunities to gather for worship, for fellowship and for service. The Family Reunion at the end of the summer ushered in a time in my life that included an additional opportunity for worship each week (school chapel on Wednesday mornings). As the school year got underway, so did planning for our annual Trunk or Treat event, bringing many school families and hundreds of our neighbors together.

You may be used to special worship events tied to the seasons of Christmas and Easter, but for me the added worship events in the fall are even more spectacular. Several lesser festivals in September reminded me of the glory of Christ’s cross and the faithful witness of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist. Before I knew it we were coming up to Reformation Sunday, which this year was highlighted by the Rite of Affirmation of Baptism (Confirmation) for two young persons from our fellowship. In a matter of days we will be remembering in prayer all those who have died since last All Saints’ Sunday.

This year cooler temperatures have included days filled with sunshine. Instead of rain and cold we’ve been treated to our playgrounds filled with children both during the school day and after. Many days I leave campus and hear the sounds of children playing together, often with a parent or other caregiver.

What’s my point: the months of winter may include the celebration of Christmas, spring may bring new growth and a celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord. Summer brings a whole host of opportunities: vacations, fairs, and all the rest. But for me these months in the fall provide a glimpse into a different sort of renewal, reminders of the reasons we continue in mission together as God’s people in Christ.