“September”
For evangelical churches, New Years is not January, it is September. For many pastors of evangelical churches, September is not necessarily a “Happy New Year”.
When I was a pastor at an evangelical church September was a month that I occasionally anticipated with dread. Everything was going to start up again, but more specifically the judgment of the church upon me and upon all of the programmes that would be renewed. How many people would show up? Would small groups be successful? Can I convince enough people to help out? I remember using words that are quite common in promoting the fall start up. Pastors say things like, “We are really excited about plans we have for the fall!” At that can be true. There is some excitement some of the time. However, there is also uncertainty and concern, and for some pastors, a kind of dread at the repetition of the cycle of events, services, and programmes.
Recording artist k-os has a song called “Sunday Morning”. There is a line from it that I came to identify with, or at least I identified with part of it. The line:
“Everyday is Saturday night. But I can’t wait ‘til Sunday morning.”
Sometimes I did feel the emotion of the second half of the lyric. More often I felt the first. When I was a pastor at an evangelical church Saturday nights could be emotionally draining and it felt like they came around much more often than once a week.
In a similar way, September, the “New Year” brought an astounding list of demands and expectations that for myself and many pastors seemed impossible to meet. I think that this is likely the case for pastors in small churches and for pastors in large churches.
This can be something that resonates beyond the work of a church minister. September is a month that is anticipated with some joy. It can be good to get back to a routine. It is also a month that brings concern and even fear for many people; for those going back to work, for those in a programme of university study, and for teachers and students in elementary and secondary school.
How much worse or how much better or how much different will this year be?
There is so much more uncertainty. Will this fall bring a sense of normalcy? How will you handle the expectations placed upon you? What is school going to look like? What is church going to look like? What if it all falls apart?
I pray regularly for pastors who at this time of year can feel pressed down. There might well be excitement about plans for the fall. That is rarely all there is, though. Often there is concern. Often there is an emotional evaluation about vocation. This prayer extends to our world as a whole right now. It’s August again; and now mid-August. September feels like a few days away. Is it too late to plan like you had hoped?
Blessings to you at this time of year. Perhaps we can determine to be aware that very many people are not necessarily filled with joyful anticipation at the new year just weeks ahead. As always, as things start up, as some kind of routine commences, the call for us is to compassion, empathy and love.
Thank you Todd for sharing your concerns. I never would have thought that a pastor might look to September with thoughts of being judged. Probably for those of us who have attended church for many years, the anticipation of a new season would have been coupled with expectations that our own needs would be met. I loved thinking ahead to the new season at church.
I never liked the “ shortened version” of church that summer offered and selfishly, I wanted all the Programmes and Bible Studies….all organized for my benefit. I truly WAS grateful for the pastor and all those who made going back to church in September such a blessing.
In the blink of an eye all that we expected and anticipated and took for granted was grabbed away. The very ground we walk on is on fire. The air we breathe is filled with smoke.
We who rarely have to deal with insects are being invaded by a “third wave” of moths.
Our vocabulary has expanded to include far too many words of fear. We thought we were free and more and more we have to conform. The whole world seems confusing.
In our bewilderment how do we look forward to September? Will September just be another August or another July?
The one thing we have in common is that we are all a bit bewildered. With that in mind we need to go forward to September together. We need to be a little kinder, a little more caring,
a little more compassionate. We need to love each other more.