The Start of Fall?

I am a fall fan.

Not the Fall from the biblical sense…but the season of fall.

Cinnamon is one of my favorite flavors, and it simply tastes and smells better in the fall.

I will usually give in and have one PSL. Only one. I don’t really do all the fancy coffee stuff, but one totally artificially flavored “pumpkin” coffee somehow feels appropriate.

I have apparently mentioned this enough over the years that this year multiple people personally messaged me to let me know the PSL was back.

I fear I have misled everyone.

I don’t love PSLs. I love fall.

I love cooler weather, football nearly every day, bonfires in the backyard…I really love fall.

But here is the problem…those people messaged me about the PSL coming back weeks ago. It was still the height of summer. Hot. People on vacation. Mid-August.

Definitely not fall.

 

Technically, fall begins around September 22 with the autumnal equinox.

Historically, I’ve always thought of fall beginning the Tuesday after Labor Day. One final celebratory summer weekend…and then into the new rhythm.

Meteorologically, fall begins September 1.

Educationally, fall begins when kids go back to school.

Starbucks thinks fall begins in August.

And Walmart and Target apparently believe fall begins July 5.

 

So there is quite a bit of confusion surrounding the greatest season of the year.

And with all the different start dates, opinions, and the fact that you can apparently buy pumpkin creamer year-round, we can spend so much time arguing about when fall begins that we forget to actually enjoy fall.

Which, oddly enough, I think happens in much more important areas of life too.

We get fixed on the wrong things.

Who is right and who is wrong.

My opinion. My way. My wants. My preferences.

And if we aren’t careful, we can become so focused on what we want that we lose sight of the people and the realities around us…and what Jesus wants.

That is actually pretty contrary to the way of Jesus.

 

I recently ran across a quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Life Together. Bonhoeffer was writing specifically about Christian community and the danger of creating an imaginary version of what we think life together should look like.

He writes, “By sheer grace, God will not permit us to live even for a brief period in a dream world.”

 

Bonhoeffer knew something about seeing the world as it really was. He spoke against the Nazi regime, worked on behalf of others, and ultimately lost his life.

Obviously, pumpkin spice and the rise of Nazi Germany are not exactly the same thing.

Every illustration eventually breaks down at some point….

But Bonhoeffer raises an important question.

Does following Jesus help us see the world more clearly?

Or do we create a version of the world where our preferences, priorities, and wants are always at the center?

 

When I was a kid, we used to play a game called Spoons. Maybe you played it too.

It is essentially musical chairs…with cards…and spoons…and no music…or chairs…

Everyone is trying to get four of a kind. When someone does, they slyly grab a spoon from the middle. Once one spoon is taken, everyone else can grab one too…and there is always one fewer spoon than there are players.

This has resulted in countless bent spoons, bruised fingers, and minor flesh wounds.

The funny thing is, someone can become so focused on their own cards that they completely miss what is happening around them.

They may even get four of a kind!

Congratulations!

Unfortunately, everyone else grabbed the spoons three minutes ago and the game is over.

They were so focused on getting what they wanted that they missed what was actually happening.

I wonder how often we do the same thing.

 

We can become so focused on getting what we want, protecting what we have, proving our point, or winning our argument that we miss what God is doing…and miss the people right in front of us.

 

I’ve said before, if you are successful in your job, but you lose your marriage or family or your soul in the process…you were not actually successful at your job.  It was not a win in the end.  It was a loss.

 

Following Jesus is about increasingly becoming like Jesus.

It is learning his ways. Taking on his practices. Adopting his rhythms. Seeing people the way he sees them. Loving people the way he loves them.

1 John 3 tells us,

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.”

Most of us would love for the verse to stop there.

Jesus loves me. Wonderful!

But it continues…

“And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.”

Oh.  Well dang…Apparently the love of Jesus isn’t simply something we receive.

It becomes the way we live.

I don’t simply want to see more and more people who call themselves Christians.

I want to see more and more people who look like Jesus.

And when we look like Jesus, we care less about getting our way and more about following his way.

We care less about what we think we deserve and more about what we can give.

We become less consumed with ourselves and more attentive to the people God has placed around us.

Jesus told his disciples to go and make disciples…people who would learn from him, follow him, and increasingly become like him.

That is still our calling.

To help the world know the ways of Jesus, not simply the ways of me.

We can obsess over a lot of things that probably don’t matter nearly as much as we think they do. But when we do, we run the risk of missing the beautiful life Jesus has invited us into.

 

A life where we actually see the people around us.

Where, by the grace of God, we become the hands and feet of Jesus.

Where we step in.

Where we love.

Where we serve.

Where we bring light and life.

And yes, that means laying down some of what I want.

Because that is what Jesus did.

A sacrificial life.

And that is what love looks like.

 

In case you are curious, call me old-fashioned, but I’m still rooting for the Tuesday after Labor Day as the official beginning of fall.

But apparently…it doesn’t really matter very much.

 

This Sunday

I hope you will join us this Sunday as we worship together at 8:30 and 10:00 a.m.

It is Labor Day weekend, so it will likely be busy. If you are able, I would strongly encourage you to join us at 8:30.

We will also share in Communion together. At The Chapel, we practice an open table, so all are invited to participate as we remember the One who laid down his life for you and for me. You certainly do not have to participate, but know that the invitation is open to you.

 

Sunday Mornings for Next Gen

We are excited to offer Sunday morning programming for every age during the 10:00 a.m. service:

Nursery Care — Children ages 0–4. Email Sarah@thechapelatseaside.com for more information.

Kids Church — Children ages 5 through 4th grade. Check in at The Chapel when you arrive. Email Chelsea@thechapelatseaside.com for more information.

Youth Bible Study — Students in 5th grade and older. Students should bring their Bibles and come ready to learn how to read Scripture and discover what it has to offer them.

 

Youth Group

Youth Group meets each Wednesday from 6:30–7:30 p.m. at The Chapel. It is a great time of fun, worship, learning, and growing in faith with some wonderful leaders. Whether you live here or simply happen to be in town, we hope your students will join us!

 

Prayer

Join us every Tuesday from noon–1:00 p.m. for our weekly Prayer Hour at The Chapel.

We spend time praying through Scripture, worshiping, sitting in silence, and simply being in the presence of God. It really is a beautiful hour together. Come and go as your schedule allows.

 

Wednesday Bible Studies

Our Bible studies meet Wednesdays at The Chapel.

Men: 8:00–9:15 a.m.
Women: 9:30–11:00 a.m.

We’re journeying through 1 Samuel together this fall. If you haven’t been able to join us in person, be sure to check out our weekly podcast, Chapel Study Notes, where we recap each lesson.  Listen wherever you stream.

 

Chapel Women’s Retreat

We’re excited to host our first official Chapel Women’s Retreat, February 4–6, 2027. Sign up and learn more at the link here.

 

25th Anniversary

The Chapel will celebrate its 25th Anniversary on Sunday, October 18. Join us that morning for a special worship service as we celebrate and give thanks for all God has done in and through this place.

 

Parking

As you know, parking is limited at The Chapel. We encourage you to park by the school on Smolian and use the linked parking passes. These passes are valid for Sunday morning worship through noon. Just print the pass, put the correct date on your dashboard, and you’re good to go. Here is the link to Sunday morning Worship Parking Passes.

Here is the link to Wednesday morning Bible Study Parking Passes

Let us know if you have any questions or need anything. We look forward to seeing you Sunday as we continue our journey through the Gospel of John and share in Communion together.

 

And no worries…to my knowledge, there will be no pumpkin-flavored things or smells of cinnamon at The Chapel on Sunday.

But starting Tuesday…I can’t make any promises.
And for you purists…it’ll be Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at 7:04pm when you can ring in fall.
No matter…I’ll see you Sunday.

 

Blessings,

Andrew