Happy Fall Dear People of Bethlehem!
Fall has always been my favorite season. When I was really young, it meant cool crisp Chicago days, beautiful fall colors, and jumping in freshly raked piles of leaves. In my teens it meant the beginning of marching band, water polo season, and of course, the world-famous Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival. Half Moon Bay is the unofficial pumpkin capital of the world, and last year’s winner of the pumpkin weigh-off topped the scales at a staggering 2,471 pounds! Throughout all of that, fall also signaled the start of school. As a life-long learner, I always loved when school started back up. I was the kid who would have his binders prepped and ready far in advance of that first bell. I loved the opportunity to challenge myself, to question and wrestle with difficult topics, and to gain new wisdom and insights.
I think that’s one of the reasons I feel so strongly drawn to our Lutheran tradition. We are not a church that expects people to check their brains at the door, or to simply believe what we tell you “because we said so!” Martin Luther set the tone for our denomination when he applied his critical reasoning skills to the book of Romans and dared to question some of the key theological beliefs of the Catholic Church at the time. This means that critical thinking, questioning and pushing back against religious doctrine, and being open to the idea that we may be wrong or have missed the mark regarding something, these things are all integral to our understanding of what it means to be Lutheran.
Fall here at Bethlehem also means a whirlwind of activity. We’ve got an adventure ministry camping trip coming up next weekend. Bethlehem Serves is on Sept. 21st. Confirmation resumes on Sept. 23rd at 5:30 for all students in 7th or 8th grade. Learning circles start back up during the 10:30 AM service on Sept. 28th. Many of our musical groups (Good News Singers, JuBellation Ringers, and the Children’s Choir) will all resume their rehearsals in September. Deacon Mindy will be leading a parent discussion group around the book Reconnected by Carlos Whittaker. We’re also beginning a couple of different property projects to improve the preschool playground, Dot’s Garden, and other corners of the campus. Be on the lookout for more information and work party invitations in the coming weeks. And that’s all just in the month of September! Come October we will have Confirmation Sunday, Reformation Sunday (perhaps some of these themes of learning/questioning will make a repeat appearance), as well as our Fall Stewardship emphasis (our stewardship committee is very excited about this year’s theme), and a whole lot more. It’s a wonderfully busy time of the year around here at Bethlehem!
So, we invite you to come as you are. Do not check your brains at the door, but rather bring all of who you are to this All Are Welcome place.
Fall Blessings, Pastor Sam