Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Coming upon the busy time

Many Pastors might say Lent is the hardest time of the year, but I say Thanksgiving-Epiphany is the hardest time by far. We will say that Advent is short - that it is only 4 weeks, but then, we forget that the week before is generally Thanksgiving, and then after Christmas there is New Year's Day, and then a week after that is Epiphany. 6 weeks here (7 if I could get people to show up for Epiphany, which has never been a custom here) of extra services and the like - just as much as Easter.

And then multiple dinners and such like that - and Norman Rockwell expectations, and hustle and bustle and all that jazz. Ugh.

This is why Advent is such an important season - why thanksgiving is so apt. They are times of pause, times of rest, times to step away from all our stuff and to ponder what God has done for us. Even as it is so busy for the pastor - who moves from the 4 services of October to the 15-18 services of 7 weeks - it is a fantastic time of being gathered in the Word and brought to restful contemplation of His love for us.

Which just means I'm going to go work on Bible Studies now, cause I want to be at least 7 weeks ahead of schedule before thanksgiving!

5 comments:

Jay Hobson said...

Perhaps you will have one of those Godsend moments when you are wide awake at 3:30 in the morning with a hankering to write. Then you'll crank out 3 sermons as you have done in the past. :)

Rev. Eric J Brown said...

Um. . . you mean like this past Monday where I woke up at 4 and by 9 am Latin had sermons and bulletins done for this Sunday and for thanksgiving? >=o)

Pastor D said...

So true...here Thanksgiving is "homecoming" We will have two services Thanksgiving Eve and Thanksgiving Day. Enjoy this important season. Oh, and by the way, the NCAA final 4 is in Indy this year scheduled at the end of Holy Week!

Rev. Eric J Brown said...

Do you just use the same sermon for both Eve and Day? Or do you treat them as completely separate observances?

Pastor D said...

I use two texts Thanksgiving Eve we will focus on Ps. 117 Thanksgiving Day we will visit Luke 17:11-19 College kids, cooks and folks who travel will make it Wednesday night the Thursday morning is everyone else...