Pastoral Pondering

Written by Rev. Martha Langford, Senior Pastor at Second/First Church of Rockford, IL

Dog Days Of Summer

Growing up in Texas, my grandmother would call hot summer days, “Dog Days.” Watching her ancient dachshund, I wondered about what made the days special for dogs. Later, someone (probably my brother) explained that it was about the ways dogs lazed around in the heat. Ohhhhhh! DOG days.

But that’s not the real story.

Ancient astronomers called these “Dog Days” because the star Sirius appeared during daytime rising with the sun during the hottest days of the year. Being cause and effect kind of people who looked to the stars for answers, those ancient astronomers imagined that the heat from Sirius added to the heat of the sun and made the world that much hotter. This brightest star in Canis Major was nicknamed the “Dog” star, SO… DOG days.

Ancient Egyptians noticed something else. The star we call Sirius appears at sunrise, just before the Nile River floods each year. In ancient Egypt, the rise of this star marked the beginning of a new year.

This year the Old Farmer’s Almanac lists July 3 to August 11 as the “dog days of summer.”

In Northern Illinois, we can feel the truth that the Summer Solstice has come and gone. Sunrise comes later; sunset comes earlier. Summer is waning even as things heat up. The change in seasons is on its way.

Like many churches, SecondFirst runs on several “calendars.” We use the January through December “year” to organize our budget and finances. We use the May through April “year” to organize our Ministry Teams. We use the August through May school “year” to organize our programs. We use the December through November “year” (Advent through Reign of Christ Sundays) to organize our worship life.

In one trip around the sun, we experience four, new years. Sirius is in the morning sky as we prepare for our new Program Year. SecondFirst will bless our children and youth on August 2nd, as they prepare to go back to school.

And I wonder… what new thing might this beginning bring to us all?

But let me encourage us all—give the Dog Days their due. Let summer linger. Find moments for beautiful idleness and refreshing respite. Regather your energy and enthusiasm for the challenges to come.

Be blessed in this season and the year to come.

Peace,

Martha