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Journeying into Autumn with the Liturgy

September 03, 2026 by Matthew Allen

Autumn Liturgy

Nature gives us many clues, both subtle and not-so-subtle, as to the changing of the seasons. Yes, there are the stereotypical orange leaves and longer nights that everybody points to. But – in Ireland, at least – a less obvious indication is that rabbits tend to scale back on building new burrows. This is welcome news for churches with graveyards because, as I’ll explain imminently, rabbits can be quite a menace in these parishes.

One graveyard I was in several weeks ago looked like a set from a zombie flick. Huge rabbits had broken through the surface of several plots, as if the residents who normally hang out in these graves had gone on the rampage! On the other hand, maybe reincarnation is real, after all, and we come back as giant bunnies after we die…

With a bit of luck, now that Autumn is here, the rabbits will cease to harass the dead and we won’t have any vengeful spirits on our hands. Meanwhile, we can turn to the liturgy to find out what biblical resources will help us to make the transition from sunshine and sandcastles to Harvest and Halloween – a seasonal transition that can be difficult for many people.

Exodus

The Old Testament lessons for September follow the life of Moses from the First Passover (Exodus 12.1-14) to the Rock of Horeb (17.1-7). The Book of Exodus, of course, is woven around a journey: that of Israel from Egypt into the Wilderness, and onwards to the Promised Land. It makes good reading, therefore, in a time of seasonal transition; and it is comforting to hear again the stories that many of us first heard as children.

Springtime has the glamour and expectation of the Promised Land about it, which makes Autumn and Winter the seasonal equivalents of the Wilderness. The lesson of Exodus, however, is that God can fulfil our needs even in the harshest of circumstances. In God’s hands, even the crystalline, white ‘hoarfrost’ (16.14) becomes edible and nutritious to the Children of Israel!

This is not an instruction, obviously, to sprinkle hoarfrost on your porridge when you happen to have some spare. Instead, since Moses describes the Manna from Heaven as ‘the bread which the Lord has given you to eat’ (16.15), it is best viewed as an Old Testament foretaste of the Eucharist, which is available to us in the here and now. Though the seasons change, the Sacraments of the Church remain constant.

Psalms

The Psalms covered in September are numbers 149, 114, 105, and 78.

Psalm 149, on the first Sunday of the month, is a cheerful reading that features dancing (v. 3) and singing (verses 1, 3, 5). This reminds us to lean into the creative arts as a source of joy when the cold, autumnal weather blows in. Of course, in the context of the Psalm, the dancing and singing are acts of worship; and so, maybe there’s an invitation here to get involved in your church’s music ministry!

Psalms 114, 105 and 78 hew closely to themes covered in the Old Testament readings; and so, they reinforce the lessons from Exodus nicely.

Epistles

Mid-September marks the transition away from the theologically heavy Romans towards the more overtly pastoral Philippians. It’s almost as if, having put us through doctrinal summer school, the liturgy now recognises our need for a bit of extra moral support come Autumn.

In Philippians 1.21-30, read on Sunday 20th September, St Paul will speak of tolerating the discomforts of life. God knows that Autumn comes with many discomforts: from energy bills to frozen-over windscreens. Yet, as Paul acknowledges, life is also full of opportunities for ‘fruitful labour’ (v. 22) and ‘joy in the faith’ (v. 25). Like the Sacraments, these are constant, no matter which season we find ourselves in.

The following Sunday, 27th September, Paul will highlight lessons from the life of Christ and will advise ‘being in full accord and of one mind’ (Philippians 2.2). It’s not that Christians need to behave like a hive mind. Rather, we should all strive, as best we know how, towards a common goal, ‘the interests of others’ (v. 3), a goal that becomes arguably more pressing as the additional stresses of Autumn and Winter approach.

Gospels

Matthew 18 supplies the Gospel readings for the first half of September: verses 15-20 on Sunday 6th, and verses 21-35 on Sunday 13th. Taken together, these two readings can be summed up in the truism that “we need each other”. Verse 20 gives us the famous line, ‘where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them’. This comes right after Christ urges us to preserve the relationships we have; we should not cut anyone off lightly.

Similarly, verses 21-22 underline the role that forgiveness plays in reconciling two people who have been estranged. Sometimes, relationships are genuinely not able to be repaired. But it’s fair to say that Jesus wishes us to seek reconciliation when, and where, we can. Indeed, as anyone who watched Game of Thrones will appreciate, Winter is the time to put grudges aside and unite around the challenges that face all of us. But why wait until Winter? Why not start now?!

Readings for a Time of Transition

Some seasonal transitions are easy enough: Winter into Spring; Spring into Summer… depending how bad your hay-fever is, of course. Others are a bit harder: Summer into Autumn; Autumn into Winter. However, I hope to have underlined some words of encouragement from the liturgy so that if, and when, you hear them read out in Church this month, you might find that extra bit of comfort in them.

And whatever Autumn brings, we can be thankful for one thing at least: fewer bunnies pulling zombie hoaxes!

9/3/2026 1:45:48 AM

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About Matthew Allen

Matthew Allen is a writer and musician based in Northern Ireland. He is a graduate of Queen’s University, Belfast, where he studied Theology and Liberal Arts.

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