These are the first words of Solomon in Ecclesiastes 3. As we turn the page from July into August, we are reminded of this yet again. There is a time to look back and look forward.

We look back on yet another good year of vicarage with Vicar Busacker. He has rendered great service to our Lord and our congregation. However, the time has come for another season in His life. He now returns to Concordia Seminary to complete his formation for ministry. One year from now, Lord willing, he will be Pastor Busacker and a congregation will be blessed to have him as their under-shepherd.

But at the same time as we say goodbye to Vicar Busacker, it is also time to greet. We greet Vicar Todd McMurray, his wife Kristin, and their son Nicholas. They are eager to become part of our family and continue their preparation for ministry. This is also very exciting for us. We look forward to having them bring the special gifts for ministry that they will bring. Now is the time for us to get to know them.

August also means that it is time to look forward to what comes later this month. It is time for us to get back to school. For some, it is the time to head off to pre-school for the first time. Others, it is time to head off to college. Maybe it is time for a new school or the start of confirmation. This is a time for consternation for children who have spent a summer complaining about how bored they were. It is a time for parents to take that deep breath and have a schedule and routine that is much more conducive to consistency. We love summer, but August is a time for getting back to what needs to be done.

August is also a time to get back to some positive routines when it comes to your relationship with the Lord. The Elders and I have been both discouraged and encouraged by some of the patterns of this summer. We have been discouraged by our attendance pattern. There have been many that we see regularly from August to May that have seemed to have forgotten where the corner of Henry and Elm Streets actually is. But at the same time, we have been encouraged with many new faces that we have seen on a very regular basis. We have been discouraged by the low numbers of children in the Sunday School program this summer. But I have been encouraged by the consistent number of people who have volunteered to teach the children that do come and those who make Bible Study a priority in their weekly schedule.

August is the time for those who have gotten out of the habit of being in worship and Bible Study to get back to a more Godly routine. Make that a time for you and your family to be fed, not with a restaurant prepared breakfast, but with a feast of God’s Word and Sacrament. This is the beauty of the God we have. He has given us time for His Word. He has given us that open invitation to be in His House and at His table.