October 12, 2008

This morning finds me sitting in my friend Chris's office. I've had a little trouble with my laptop (as you know.) A crushed laptop is a difficult thing to do anything on much less write a weekly blog.

Chris is a pastor at Stanwich Church. He's preaching his first of three sermons this morning and I've opted out of the first to write you. This morning Chris will speak of beauty. Beauty is something dear to my heart because I cannot live without it. Beauty makes me come alive. It makes life worth living and it is something God left among us to remind us of Himself.

As I look out the window I see trees of gold, crimson and green. Autumn brings such a spectacle of glory. It's extravagant. It's audacious. It's bold. It's a grand finale of a season of life and a reminder that seasons change.

I think what I'm supposed to say briefly this morning is that we are in a season of change. Before that sounds cliche' I don't mean to state the obvious. Certainly the seasons are changing from Fall to Winter. Certainly the country (and world) is changing around us. I think what I want to communicate is that we are being changed as the seasons change and that's as it should be.

I know times are weird right now. I know some of you are freaked out about the economy or your job or your family. I know some of you are lost and cannot find clarity and I know that some of you are numb. I hear from you every day. I confess I have days that resemble all of those things. I've lived long enough to observe two things.

1. Nothing is permanent. It will not last forever. No matter the season you find yourself in it is not permanent. That is not the way God created things. It boils down to embracing the process we are in. We cannot hold onto the old (either good or bad) and grow. We have to constantly move forward with the gentle motion of the seasons. God directs that in each of our lives.

2. The journey is beautiful. It is Autumn outside this window here in the Connecticut forest. In short order this display of glory will fall to the ground and whither. Transition will come. The ground will freeze and be washed by the coming snows. White will cover the land and then recede to new life again. These trees will bud and bloom again and so will you. It's God's way. He created this. I didn't make this up.

Times may be trying. Life may be tumultuous but nothing lasts forever. There is always the promise of new life if we allow nature to take it's course. Nature in this case is allowing the gentle motion of life to move us along as the Holy Spirit moves and breathes in us. The Bible says that worry will not extend our days. It asks us to consider the lillies of the field and to consider the birds of the air. God takes care of them. They are not worrying about tomorrow. It goes on to tell us that if God can handle the flowers and birds he can certainly handle us. The Bible also says that we are in the process of being transformed into the likeness of Jesus. Simply put that is not always going to be pleasant. We have a lot of "stuff" to get rid of. But this is not something to fret over. It's the way of the believer. It is unto new life. What we're seeing in our lives and world is a good thing. It's hard to look at and even scary but what comes next is new life. So in closing I'll say what I said in the September review. I love you all very much. It's Autumn....and it's time for some things to fall.

Onward Comrades,

Brian