The feel of the fall season is increasingly evident with schools back in session, football and other fall sports seasons underway, early signs of the changing colors of nature, and cooler temperatures – all about us, we sense that we’re entering into autumn - or fall as we call it in the country. There is a certain reassurance, at least for me, during the fall season. Life seems to return to a more regular pattern after months of summer vacations. Our children and grandchildren are back in school, and families generally settle into more normal routines of life.

One important question comes to mind as we move beyond Labor Day and into September and October. What are our priorities during the fall season of the year? It is relatively normal for participation in the life of the church to suffer some during the summer months due to vacation schedules and the many other activities that are so prevalent in today’s culture. But as we move back into a more regular schedule with the coming of fall, what will be our priorities?

Will our Christian faith be an area of renewed emphasis and priority in the fall? As we get back into a more regular pace and schedule of life, will we make church and our service to the Lord an area of strong commitment? Did we back away from serving the Lord during the summer months? Did we let other activities and priorities take precedent over serving Jesus Christ and ministering to others in His name? Where will Jesus Christ be placed in the allocation of our time, talent, and resources as we move into September and October and then into the winter months of 2019-2020?

Regardless of the season of the year, there are many things competing for our time and our attention in today’s world. We live in noisy times – our days are busy and cluttered with a great deal of busyness – we take little time to catch our breath and relax – we often take too little time to spend with our families – and we certainly fail to spend time with God. Will we change these habits in fall 2019? Let’s commit to each other and to God that we will spend more time with Him, that we will be more faithful in our worship and participation in the life of His church, and that we will reach out and minister to our community and world in His name.