Why a Fall Festival

I wish I could find it. I know I’ve seen documentation of it before but just can’t place my finger on it now. Google was no help, ugh. Don’t you hate it when that happens?!?! 
I think I first heard it in seminary that someone actually took the time to carefully go through the gospels adding up the approximate duration of time that is recorded of Jesus’ adult ministry (e.g., how much time did he spend at the wedding at Cana? how long did it take to preach the Sermon on the Mount? how long did it take to get from point A to point B? etc. You get the picture.) It’s pretty well documented that Jesus’ ministry on earth lasted approximately 3 years, some say a little longer. But what we have recorded in the gospels adds up to only . . . and here’s where I wish I had the documentation, so don’t quote me on this . . . about 1 year or a year and a half.  Hmmmm . . .

So, here’s the obvious question . . . what happened in and around Jesus that we don’t have recorded? What did He and the disciples talk about traveling from one city to the next? Where and how did they wash their clothes? Did they have to go to the doctor or dentist? . . . oh, wait . . . Jesus could take care of that. Did they do any recreation together? Who was the one cracking the jokes or making puns? Did they have nicknames for each other? And on and on and on. Let your holy imagination play in that sandbox for a little while.
The point of all this is to say a lot of life stuff happened with the 13 of them just hanging out with each other, building community . . . you know, just being together.

When we gather together for church-wide events like Fall Festival, we have the opportunity to be in an environment that builds community in a different way than anything else we do. What a fantastic opportunity to get to know someone else better or maybe for the first time, learn the names of their kids, swap recipes, serve together setting up or cleaning up, make a play date for next week, figure out if your hunting site is better than your buddy’s, etc., etc., etc. Just making church family memories around laughter and fun.

I just love the times when we come together and enjoy being with each other. And I’m pretty sure Jesus loves it too.