It’s almost that time! Everyone is excited for the upcoming school year
Even for those of us that are not in school any more, or have kids who have grown up and moved away, there is always the cultural phenomenon of Back to School! There are sales for clothes, towels, and of course, school supplies. But it is deeper than just buying stuff. Back to School implies a return to something familiar, regaining a regular routine that was disrupted by the summer months of camps, vacations, sleepovers, and tv binge watching.
But going back to school was never really a return to something old, it was always a venturing into something new. New grades, new teachers, even new schools. Even though some things stay the same, much about back to school is really about learning how to cope with change, how to grow and learn, and how to navigate our expanding roles and responsibilities in life.
Several people have asked me over the years if I reuse old sermons. While the idea of going back to an old sermon sounds like a nice idea, when I have tried to go back to an old sermon, I always find that I see something new that I want to emphasize, or the congregation needs to hear a different approach to help connect. When I have tried going back to an old sermon, I end up editing and rewriting it and spending just as much time as if I were to have started from scratch.
Every year we grow, we learn, we experience life in infinite ways. The troubles and stress we experience over the years build our character. We try to forget the hardships and remember the joy. As adults, we might look back to our school experience as something to be cherished, embraced and enjoyed. But for those who are returning to school now, it is a time of stress, anxiety, and wonder.
Did you know the word Disciple mean “learner.” So for Jesus to call his followers "disciples" is to call them to continually learn and grow. May we, whether we have finished or are still enduring our earthly schooling, remember that every day we are called by Jesus to learn, to grown and to follow Him in our heavenly schooling.
Blessings to you as we all go “back to school!”