Dear Christian Friends:
Thanks to the Byrds, the words of Ecclesiastes 3 are familiar to much of the world:
“For everything there is a season…” Turn, turn, turn…
Like it or not, the summer season is over. Fall has fallen upon us. It is September!
Soon we will hear the snap of the football, the excitement of the crowds at the gridiron.
Soon we will be harvesting apples, carving pumpkins, running corn mazes.
Soon we will be admiring the rich and varied colors of the leaves
— vivid reds and rusts, bold yellow and golden leaves.
Some sigh with regret that the relaxing, fun-filled, less-structured days are over.
Others, refreshed and invigorated, have eagerly plunged into the routines of fall again,
excited about new challenges and enthusiastic about projects and activities that lie ahead.
Even though the ebb and flow of our lives change with the variation of the seasons, some things remain constant.
One of those constants is, of course, God’s presence with us: “I will never leave you nor forsake you,” promises the Father. “So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper, I will not fear; What can man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:5-6)
Another is God’s complete control over the seasons. We may become impatient, but God’s timing and His response are always right.
Another constant is the privilege to be about our Father’s business. As long as we remain on earth, God has a purpose for us. The Apostle Paul exhorts us, “Preach the Word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2).
In every season, throughout the history of the Church, there have been scoffers and those who “will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions” (2 Timothy 4:3). We leave them to God; we are called simply to be “ready in season and out of season.”
We do this directly and indirectly. We use the gifts God has given us to witness to His saving grace as we go about our daily lives. “In season and out of season” we joyfully proclaim His gift of salvation to all who will hear. May fall be a season of proclamation for you!
In the love of Christ, Pastor Hartwig