October 2007
Dear friends,
Greetings in the name of Jesus, our beautiful savior!
Autumn is one of the most majestic times of the year,
isn't it?
The colors on the trees are so vibrant. What a
blessing it is to live in an area of such breathtaking beauty!
The warm days and chilly nights excite our senses.
The bright, clear daytime skies dazzle our eyes and the smell of wood smoke at
night begins to prepare us all for our long winter's nap. The taste of the
harvest moves away from garden-fresh tomatoes and corn to make way for warm
apple pie and hearty stews. What a blessing it is to have all five of our
senses brought alive at this time of year!
But don't we all know people who would rather have it
be summer year-round? Or any season, really - just so long as it stays the
same? I must confess, sometimes I have thoughts like that too! But
that's not how God made the world to be.
So what do you love about autumn? Which of your senses
are enlivened in this season of constant change? After all, that's what
autumn is. It's the time in between; in between the growth and glory of
summer - and the stillness and serenity of winter. Oh yes, both summer and
winter are beautiful in their own ways. But we don't move immediately from
one to the other. It gradually happens before our eyes. And some
days we don't even notice the change. Other days, the change is striking.
And such it is with life. We go from one season
to another. Sometimes we're very content with the season in which we find
ourselves. And, like our approach to the seasons of the earth, we don't
want to see any changes in our lives. But one season must follow the next.
God's plan is that a different beauty can be found in each of the seasons of our
lives...our individual lives and the Life we share together as the Body of
Christ.
My life is no the same today as it was "way back then".
And neither is yours. And neither is our life together at church.
We're in a different season now. And I believe we're all sharing a season
of transition. From something beautiful into something else that's
beautiful but in a different way. And we have God's promise that even as
we await the next season of what is to come, we have the glorious gift of a
beautiful in-between time.
Let's not wish the hot and humid days back. And
let's not hurry the first snowflake! Let's bask in the beauty of today.
Together.
Marcia and I wish you a glorious autumn--
Pastor Jon West