9
Nov
2015
The Seasons, They are A-Changin’
I love this time of year. This morning air is crisp and cool, the sky is a brilliant blue, the vibrant and varied fall foliage transform our landscape with hues of red, orange, and yellow. And change is afoot, not only in nature. In various ways, our corner of the world is preparing for a changing season. It means closing up the cottage, settling back into the school routine, preparing our gardens for the snow, putting on our winter tires. We are right in the midst of a season of transition and change.
As a church, we are also in a time of transition and change. The United Church held its 42nd General Council in Corner Brook, Newfoundland in late August. Commissioners across the country shared stories about how our local churches are changing. The same “tried, tested, and true” methods of serving our community and sharing our ministries that have worked in the past no longer work today. This is no big surprise. The world we live in is vastly different from that of fifty years ago, twenty years ago, or even five years ago. The way we communicate and travel, the lifestyle we live are different. We like our microwaves, washing machines, flat-screen televisions, and so on. Just as we’ve left behind the wringer washer and tube televisions, we have naturally adapted to the changing times.
And the United Church of Canada is doing the same thing. We will continue to do what we do best – be a generous, caring, and welcoming family that loves to laugh, sing, share, and support each other. We are doing what we do best: being a faith community in the Glebe. But part of our mission in the Glebe is to teach and we’re doing that in a number of ways. We built at Reconciliation Garden complete with Dreamcatcher. We want the wider community to know we take reconciliation with Canadian First Nations seriously. And we’re putting our money behind our talk by supporting Home Fires Burning – a group of the families of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women,
My friends, we have the gift of love, a deep-rooted story and cherished tradition, a gospel message of hope, and are driven by God’s mission. Through and with God’s grace, we are empowered and called to share these gifts with all. How can you do this planted where you are?
This is a time of transition and change. The uncertainty can be scary, but if we put our trust in God, if we are willing to let the Spirit work in and through us, something amazing can happen. In fact, something is happening in our midst: God is doing a new thing. We can choose to say “yes,” to put our trust in God and join God in this adventure. We can choose new life! The choice is ours. Will you say “yes” and join the journey?
Number of views (1893) Comments (0)