New Beginnings

I am a nerd, I admit it. I love school. My second favorite time of year is the beginning of a new academic year. (You will have to wait for another cover letter to learn my first favorite time of year.) I look forward to my trip to Staples to buy a new calendar for the upcoming year. I could spend hours in there searching for just the right calendar. It has to be colorful and have a monthly calendar as well as daily sheets with space for appointments and a To Do list. And then I buy a new pack of colored pens and a mechanical pencil and a pack of 2B lead. And then I head home, giddy with the excitement of a fresh start. Once home, I head straight for the kitchen table to begin work on my calendar. I grab my old calendar to transfer annual events. (And here is where the nerd part comes in.) Birthdays are marked in red. Family events are written in purple. Events with friends are marked in green. The To Do list is blue and finished tasks are checked off in orange. Tentative items are entered in pencil. Etc., etc. The end result is a colorful potpourri of reminders, birthdays, responsibilities, and upcoming events. Every time I open my calendar, I feel happy even if something is coming up that I don’t want to do. How could I be frustrated or mad while gazing at such a colorful, bright, and happy calendar?

One of the many, many great things about working at the church is that we use two calendars. The church calendar begins with Advent 1 and ends with Christ the King Sunday. The Sunday School/WAGS calendar begins in August in harmony with the school year. As with any new beginning, there is lots of excitement and activity surrounding the kick off event. Your clergy and staff are whirling with excitement about this new Sunday School and WAGS year because we are prem
iering many new beginnings this fall. The Good Shepherd film will premier in red carpet style at 11:00 am on Sunday, August 4. Pose for pictures as you are surrounded by camera flashes from the paparazzi. On August 11, we will bless the backpacks and share a bar-b-que meal. Another exciting event on that day will be the unveiling of the new Good Shepherd branding--new logo and signage. On August 18 Sunday School begins with a celebration of 25 years of Catechesis at Good Shepherd. Tricia Dodge will be here to celebrate and preach that Sunday. Andy’s class, The Scarlet Thread of Redemption, will focus on…well, just come and see. There will be a new Sunday School class for young adults and Follow the Star nights will begin on September 10. WAGS begins on August 21. We will learn about and celebrate all things Episcopal: from early history (was it really all about King Henry’s divorce?), the Eucharist, seasonal colors, Episcopal haberdashery, Episcopal etiquette, and much, much more.

There is lots to be excited about this coming year. Mark Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings as Good Shepherd time on your calendar. Don’t write them in pencil as tentatives. Pick a color for Good Shepherd events (I use aqua & pink) and commit to being a part of God’s New Beginnings here at your home church.