Golden Days
From The Pastor’s Desk—
In the evening there were flocks of nighthawks passing southward over the valley. The tall sunflowers stood, burning on their stalks to cold seed, by the still river. And high up the birds rose into sight against the darkening clouds. They tossed themselves among the fading landscapes of the sky like rags, as in abandonment to the summons their blood knew. And in my mind, where had stood a garden straining to the light, there grew an acceptance of decline. Having worked, I would sleep, my leaves all dissolved in flight.
-Wendell Berry, “September 2”
With the last of the Summer traffic over the bridges, Fall seems to draw closer each day. The light has taken on a golden hue, and the trees and shrubs are starting to trade the vibrance of their summer green for more autumnal hues. School buses and road construction have returned, and our beach attendants have all gone back to school or other jobs.
I can relate to the theme of the poem above. Our “garden straining to the light” has slowly and surely grown “an acceptance of decline.” Our tomatoes are almost spent, our herbs aren’t growing as heartily, the time for harvesting turnips draws near. We are in a time of transition and preparation: clearing away the plants that will not winter over, saving seeds, and savoring what remains of our harvest.
Conversely, the life of the church is growing more vibrant with the change of the seasons. This Fall will see a robust calendar of activities: perhaps you will join us for one of our Footprints outdoor worship walks in September or October. Maybe you are looking forward to our final Scallop dinner, or to the resumption of our Soup luncheons next month. Or you might be looking to deepen your faith by joining our fall Bible study.
May this Fall be a time of renewal for you. May it be a chance to cast off old ideas, bygone obligations, and the busyness of the Summer season. May these golden days help return us to the turning of the seasons, as we cast our eyes forwards to the coming dawn of Advent.
—Pastor Jon
