September 2026
“Back to School, Back to Learning”
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3:16)
I can hardly believe September is here and fall is just around the corner. How quickly time passes! It seems that every time I look at the calendar, another month has gone by.
Someone once said that the older we get, the faster time seems to pass. Perhaps that is why, as I have grown older, I feel that time seems to slip away more quickly. Especially this year, I feel as though time has passed almost without my noticing it.
September is a busy month. As summer comes to an end, we begin making plans and adjusting our schedules for a new season. The days become a little shorter, the air begins to cool, and children and young people return to school. Teachers prepare their classrooms, parents adjust their schedules, and students begin another year of learning and growing.
Yes, it is a season of “back to school.” But as I think about going back to school, I am reminded that learning is not only for children and young people. As followers of Christ, we are all lifelong learners.
A few days ago, we had a Game Night at Central UMC. I noticed that an eight-year-old boy was doing a great job playing a game I had never played before. I was curious, so I asked him to teach me how to play. He explained the rules, I learned from him, and then we played the game together.
That little experience reminded me that we can learn from one another, regardless of our age. Sometimes we assume that older people are the teachers and younger people are the learners. But that is not always true. There are things children and young people can teach us, too. We simply need to be humble enough to ask, listen, and learn.
The book of Proverbs says, “Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance” (Proverbs 1:5). Even those who are wise continue to learn. Faith does not mean that we already have all the answers. Instead, faith invites us to remain curious, humble, and open to what God wants to teach us.
Jesus’ disciples were also learners. They followed Jesus, listened to His teachings, watched how He treated people, and gradually learned what it meant to live as His followers. They did not understand everything immediately. They asked questions, made mistakes, and sometimes misunderstood Jesus. Yet Jesus patiently continued to teach them.
We are much like those disciples. God teaches us through Scripture, prayer, worship, and the people around us. Sometimes God teaches us through joyful experiences, and sometimes through difficult seasons. We learn patience when things do not happen as quickly as we would like. We learn compassion when someone shares their pain with us. We learn forgiveness when relationships are difficult. And we learn gratitude when we recognize God’s blessings in ordinary moments.
Psalm 119:105 reminds us, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” God’s Word does not always show us the entire road ahead. But it gives us enough light for the next step.
As our children and young people begin another school year, let us remember that they need more than academic knowledge. They need people who will encourage them, listen to them, pray for them, and remind them that they are deeply loved by God.
Let us pray for our students, teachers, school staff, parents, and families. May our churches continue to be places where children and young people feel welcomed, valued, and loved.
And as we begin this new season, perhaps we should also ask ourselves: “What is God teaching me right now?” Perhaps there is a lesson God wants us to learn. Perhaps there is someone God wants us to understand better. Perhaps there is a new way God is calling us to serve.
Whatever our age or stage of life, let us never stop learning. Let us keep growing in faith, wisdom, love, and grace. As a new school year begins, may God bless our students and teachers. And may God continue to teach all of us as we walk together in faith, learning from His Word, from one another, and from every season of life.
In Grace and Love,
Pastor Jenny