Dancing Around the May Pole

Today is May 1st.  Many of us know it as May Day, a day to honor workers and the Labor Movement.  But there is another tradition for May 1st known as the May Pole (or Maypole).  My experience was with the "Dancing Around the May Pole" tradition from England.  On May 1st communities would erect a tall pole (some as high as 88 feet) with colorful ribbons streaming down.  Then people would grab one of the ribbons and dance around the pole.  As the ribbons tightened up the pole became a colorful candy cane.  The origin is in distant pagan Europe as a celebration of spring.  Grumpy Presbyterians were almost successful in wiping out the tradition in Scotland and parts of England.  It was simply too much fun for it to be Christian, they thought.
I don't have a May Pole to dance around, but my May 1st has been fun.  The church staff had our first Wednesday lunch out on the patio in honor of Stephanie Boorman's birthday.  As I work in my office I am looking out over the Governor's pond and a beautiful Dogwood tree on our property.  As I look to the Great Hall the cherry trees are in full bloom.  But even more beautiful than the scenery are the people.  At staff meeting we were discussing the exciting family-centered events coming up in May. 
The month starts with communion and the Ladies Tea on May 1st.  Then on May 12th we will honor all mothers and our Sunday School teachers.  Then on the 19th we will celebrate our confirmation class, our high school seniors and Angie Kung and Lynn Lucas who have worked so hard for so long to build our excellent children's Christian Education program.  On the 26th, the soon to be Rev. Ken Godshall will preach for us before his ordination on June 2nd at 3pm.
My family and a friend of ours have been in church in recent weeks and they were amazed at the number of chilren.  They had never seen anything like it!  Angie and Lynn are a big reason why there are so many.
I hope you have a blessed May Day and May Month.  Coming to church in May will help make it so.
See you at the May Pole,
Pastor Dale