If one had to name a particular moment in time when the summer season peaks it has to be mid July, right around July 18th. Since moving to Camano twelve years ago St Aidan’s summer festival extravaganza has become such a fixture in life that summer would not be what it is without it. It’s a flag planted right in the middle of this gorgeous stretch on the calendar. When our cherished event was on hiatus during covid a piece felt missing from what made this season great. Now with the festival in our rearview mirror all eyes are on August and it feels like fall might as well be upon us! Of course, summer is still very much in play and August has much to give us inside and outside the church.

If you’re like me you keep your feet firmly planted on the earth and your eyes fixed on the horizon looking forward to what is coming. But August gives us good reasons to look up and consider the heavens, the moon and the stars God has made. From now until August 24th there will be spectacular things to behold in the night sky. Meteors from leftover comet particles and broken bits from asteroids will be streaking across the galaxy. The comet’s name is the Swift-Tuttle comet and it takes it takes 133 years to orbit the sun once. Its space debris interacts with our atmosphere to create what’s known as the Perseids Meteor Shower. It peaks in mid August and provides the best light show of the year. The Perseids leave long “wakes” of light and color as particles stream across earth’s heavenly canvas. “Fireballs” are also a common sight. Larger bits of space dust burning at a significantly brighter magnitude. If ever there was a time to marvel at the universe God has made, mid August on a crystal clear night is it.

August is also known as the wedding month par excellence in our region of the country. Many would erroneously guess June. On a national level it would be October. But here the peak time is August. St Aidan’s has hosted a few, but we should all be praying for many, many more! Weddings are such a blessing and a joy for everyone involved.

We can be thankful, however, that more baptisms will soon be happening at St Aidan’s. This month three candidates are undergoing baptismal preparations with the rector with the goal of becoming baptized on our patronal feast day, the feast of saint Aidan. There are five days spread throughout the year on which baptisms are especially appropriate, and the parish’s patronal feast day is one of them. For us this falls on August 30th. The other special days are All Saints Day, the Baptism of Our Lord, Easter, and Pentecost. But there really is no ‘wrong’ time for a baptism. Any and all baptisms are cause for celebration as we welcome new members into the household of God.

In addition to being a great time for baptism, St Aidan’s Day reminds us of who we are and how far this amazing “little country church” has come since 1958. It connects us to the blessed Aidan of Lindisfarne who also lived on an island connected to the mainland. Through his great love of neighbor, and unshakable commitment to Christ, he shined the light of God’s love on a whole region and transformed it. For this reason his symbol is the torch, which also happens to be the name of this fine publication! Not unlike Aidan’s Lindisfarne, St Aidan’s Camano Island, by all accounts, has become lighthouse.

May God bless you in this month of August, and may you know the love and light of God that shines in you and through you.

Yours in Christ,

Drew+