Sacred Time - Feasts and Festivals!
September is one of my favorite months. Not just because it contains my birthday and anniversary, but because it signals the beginning of many of my favorite things. I love school supply shopping and picking out the first day of school outfit. I love the cooler weather and having bonfires in the evening to keep warm. I love the beauty of the leaves changing and the crunch of them when you go for a walk or rake up your yard. Sweaters, jeans and football become a part of the weekends. Apple orchards and cooking chili are in regular rotation. It’s the beginning of the best time of the year!
September has also begun to hold some hard things. It is the anniversary of a loved one’s passing. It reminds me that my kids are getting older and each grade is a year closer to empty nesting. There’s a general anxiety about getting my planner, schedule and life back on track which includes meal planning, exercising, cleaning, and organizing everything I didn’t over the summer. September is like a great big reset button.
In the Jewish calendar, the 10 Days of Awe or High Holy Days (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur) also occur during September and October. This is the celebration of the Feast of Trumpets found in Leviticus 23:23–25 and Numbers 29:1 and the Day of Atonement found in Leviticus 16:29-34, 23:26-32, and Numbers 29:7-11. These are times of celebration and reflection and repentance.
Another way of thinking about these days is that it’s about turning to God, turning to others we’ve hurt, and turning to those in need. What has happened over the last year or years that deserve celebrating? What needs attention from the past year that would be better to not bring into the new year? What do I need to remember about who I am and who God is? Are there things in my life that need repentance or repair? How am I turning towards those in need?
As you enter the fall season and perhaps like me are pushing the big reset button, I hope that you take some time to celebrate, reflect and turn.
May you know that God is near to you and that you can receive the good that He has for you.
With love,
Lisa
If you want to learn more about feasts and festivals, join us on Monday, September 24th at our thematic study!
Your ideas, suggestions, and feedback are what guide us. Want to study a particular passage or topic? Have an idea for an event? Suggestions for times or locations of study? We want to know! You can aways send us an email or we would love to see you face to face over coffee.