Dear HUM friends,
I’ve observed in recent years that time is not a constant. For most of my life I assumed that an hour is an hour ... a day is a day ... a year is a year.
I’ve changed my mind on that, because now I know that time goes by so much faster in the summer than it does in winter. There just isn’t enough time in the summer to accomplish all the yard work, and to visit all the unvisited places that must be visited in the summer when the weather is favorable, and to lounge in the warm summer sun. There isn’t enough time.
We are in the midst of "the dog days of summer," a period of forty days from about July 3 to August 11 in our part of the world, a time when the dog star Sirius aligns with the sun at the same time we in the northern hemisphere experience the hottest, most sultry days of the year. In other words, it is hot! And usually it is dry.
In the ancient Mediterranean world, this was an especially hot and dry time also. Brown dogs were sacrificed at the beginning of the Dog Days to appease the rage of the god Sirius, who was thought to cause these unbearably hot days and give rise to terrible disease and discomfort.
The ancients believed the dog days to be an evil time "when the seas boiled, wine turned sour, dogs grew mad, and all creatures became languid, causing to man burning fevers, hysterics, and phrensies" (Brady’s Clavis Calendarium, 1813).
But these are NOT evil days. These are GOD’s days. God’s hot days! What can we do?
Time passes quickly in the mid-summer ... with a mixture of happy times and missed opportunities. The Dog Days of Summer.
I hope you and your family are enjoying these dog days, winding down the stress, and making some good life memories. It is a time for a little leisure and a more relaxed pace. It is time for physical restoration and spiritual renewal. If we use the dog days well, we will jump-start the new ‘school’ year with energy and enthusiasm.
This is a great time to renew your commitment to the Church. Some of us are already making plans for the fall, starting with an all-church picnic on Sunday, September 7, following worship. Plan to come to worship and stay for the picnic time, as we share in the fun and fellowship, and get better acquainted with one another.
This is a great time of challenge and excitement in our church. Paul writes in his letter to the Romans, "we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose."
If you love God, with all your heart and mind and soul and strength, you will be an active part of the church’s life. You will attend worship regularly. You will be open to God’s Word and its revelations to you. You will be a generous giver, as the Lord requires. You will give of your time and talents and make your voice heard. Turn the D-O-G days into G-O-D days!
May God bless us as we prepare for the new season!
Pastor Ron
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Howland United Methodist Church