From the Pastor: Living is Easy

My beloved speaks and says to me:
“Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away,
for now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come,
and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.”
~Song of Songs 2:1-12

 
Dear friends,

What can we say about summer? It is the season of flowers and fruits, all blossoming. Of ripe tomatoes and fresh herbs, and cherries, strawberries, and blueberries at their most delicious. It may be a season of traveling—to beaches, to lakes, to mountains, to the ocean. Or, it may be the season of staying close to home, tending a garden with meticulous care.

In church terms, it is a season of rest, in many regards. Our committees take a month or two off. Instead, the church calendar offers afternoons at the homes of folks who want to share their gardens, and a monthly gathering at a country restaurant that also happens to feature ice cream.

That’s not to say there won’t be busyness! There absolutely will be. The world doesn’t stop for summer. But I hope—I pray—that each of us may remember what true rest feels like, that each of us may find some time for quiet, whether in precious solitude or with precious beloveds. That we may find time for walks—not necessarily fitness oriented walks, but walks that meander and find us hovering over a beautiful rose or inhaling the aroma of a neighbor’s barbecue. That we may find time to recognize the extraordinary beauty of God’s creation—in every season, but surely, most exuberantly, in the multicolored glory that is summer.

And that’s not to say there won’t be storms! We live where we live, and we will surely have our share of downpours, maybe even large storms passing through. I pray that none of them may cause harm—to us or to anyone—but that they may do their good work of nurturing the soil and those herbs and flowers and berries.

That’s not to say autumn won’t come! It certainly will. But for now, I pray that summer’s magic may help each of us to find joy, even in these trying times. I pray for all of us, for each of us, a beautiful and blessed summer.

Grace and Peace,

Rev. Pat