By the time the month of June runs its course, half of the calendar year will have been completed. For the life and work of the church, that’s a relatively busy course of events with Lent, Easter, and Eastertide falling squarely in that timeframe, not to mention the last half or so of the Christian Education schedule (and Confirmation). By comparison the second half of the calendar year has the start of the church programming year, Advent, and Christmas. Of course, during the summer months, we focus on planning and reloading for the start of the programming year, and there will be the normal course of that this year, too.
It is certainly wise to plan, but we also recognize that there are limits to our planning. The Epistle of James warns of this kind of thing in chapter 4 where he says that we should not boast or take too much stock in our plans. On the contrary, in verse 4:15 he writes, “Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wishes, we will live and do this or that.” Or, as one of my dear, departed friends was fond of saying, “We propose, God laughs.”
I was reminded of that when I opened up an old template for the front page notes. The page must have been dated for September, 2019. The contents spoke of the various programming elements that would take place during the fall months and throughout the program year.It even had a reference to scheduling of the Jonah musical for July, 2020. Well, we all know what happened next: a certain viral outbreak sidelined everything the following March and none of those well-laid plans for the remainder of the year were quite the same.
So, we plan during these weeks ahead realizing that everything is contingent on the will of God. Without that none of that makes a difference.
Enjoy your summer months and don’t forget to look for God wherever your journeys take you.
Shalom aleichem—Peace be with you.
Rev. Jim Hoppert
