I was recently in Colorado on vacation and it was a great time to be there. The temperatures were cool, but the days were sunny and invigorating. The Aspen trees were turning colors and so amidst the greens and browns of the trees and mountains were pops of bright yellow, gold and orange.
During the month of October and the first half of November we will be focusing on “Leading Causes of Life” during worship. The cover of the book on which the series is based includes a photo of a red leaf floating in a pool of water. Fall is a time when leaves turn from vibrant green to deep reds, oranges and golds. These leaves then fall as winter draws closer. One could look at the leaves we will be raking as “dead.” But those leaves will eventually help bring new life. They will break down and mix with the soil and eventually bring nutrients to grass, trees, flowers and vegetables.
So often the difficult and painful things in life bring strength. We journey through a loss and the grief that accompanies it, feeling like we won’t make it. How will we function without that person in our lives? Yet the journey through the loss helps us to see we are stronger than we think. That experience often leads to helping others through their own difficulties, or the pain in transformed into something else that is good.
As Christians, our faith is grounded in the resurrection. We believe that death never has the last word. Therefore, we focus on that which is life-giving and life-sustaining; we build our lives on love, peace and hope. We have been blessed with the gift of life so let us enjoy it and see where God leads us!
Peace,
Pastor Jenny