The LINK: 8/22
Dear brothers and sisters,
Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us that “for everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” As I read this scripture, I find myself speculating on the experience of its author. What kind of life did he live? Were his days neatly organized around a few tasks that defined his “normal”? Were there interruptions to the ebb and flow of his everyday routine? Did he struggle to establish an ordering of time that gave structure to his world?
I ask these questions because I often find it difficult to recognize seasons in my own experience. We live in a culture that is marked less by the movement of seasons and more by the ability to instantly satisfy our desires. Do you want something? Purchase it. Do you desire friends? Click “Follow” or “Like”. Tired of waiting? Open a new browser window. We have become so infatuated with the immediacy of the present that we have lost our capacity to find rest in the ordering of the seasons of life. Even the term “seasons of life” feels outdated like an antique that holds no monetary value and nobody wants to take home.
Yet, seasons are important. Ecclesiastes reminds us that God has “made everything suitable for its time” (3:11). Though each season has its own challenges and hardships, God is present in each one. In the rhythm of our lives we experience the diversity of God’s grace and mercy. In other words, each season is an opportunity to experience God’s love in a new way. Rather than viewing these seasons as interruptions towards a destination, we might view them as stations along the way in which The Conductor, in His love and mercy, boards new passengers and resupplies the dining car.
So, in what season of life do you find yourself? Where is God moving in the rhythm of your life? You may not know. In fact, it’s likely that the demands of the present are keeping you from taking the time and space to reflect upon your season. You may need to quiet your mind and heart long enough to recognize the signs along the road. Let me encourage you: this is important work! Like prayer and Scripture, self-reflection is a spiritual discipline. Jesus spent a lot of time alone; but I assure you, he wasn’t idle. Christ understood that life has its seasons, and he constantly took time discover the Father’s will in his own. He was also critical of those who sought to rush through their seasons, missing opportunities to grow in God (John 7:6 “My time has not yet come”).
As we near the end of summer here in the LC Valley, I already sense the seasons beginning to change. Though the thermometer would indicate the opposite (105 degrees, really?), we find ourselves amidst a number of transitions. Some of these are exciting (if you haven’t read the introduction to our new Director of Children’s Ministries, Mollee Dilling, go do that now!). Some of these transitions are hard. As I prepare for my ministry in Coeur d’Alene, I know that there will be many moments when I will miss my CongoPres family. Yet, in every transition, the Lord leads us forward surrounded by his mercy and grace. Every season belongs to him, so we have nothing to fear! His love is deep, and he takes us each by the hand and guides us through the changing seasons of our lives.
I want to close by sharing with you my gratitude for the many ways you have shaped, and will continue to shape, me as a pastor. Your love is deep, your laughter loud, and it has been one of the great honors of my life to be your pastor. I love each of you, and I look forward to seeing all the ways that the Lord will guide us as we approach each new season.
In love and hope,