For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1
Pastor John Writes:
As one year ends, and as another year begins, people tend to look back and look ahead. Every year, I hear people talk about the highlights and important moments of the year gone by, and I hear about New Year’s resolutions and plans for the coming year. But more than just the way the calendar turns from one year to the next, I’ve learned to focus on seasons.
Usually we think of seasons as the four distinct periods of the year — spring, summer, autumn, and winter. But a “season” can be any time characterized by a particular circumstance or feature. There are all kinds of seasons – basketball season, election season, hunting season, flu season, tourist season, and others. Fruits and vegetables have their seasons, as do television shows. There are seasons in the church year, seasons which include Advent, Lent, and Pentecost.
Ecclesiastes reminds us that “for everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”
Life can be a process of going from one season to the next. Some seasons bring joy, growth, and abundance; others challenge us with uncertainty, loss, or disappointment. Yet, in every season, God’s faithfulness remains steadfast.
This new year is a new opportunity to seek God’s purpose for the season you are in. Perhaps it’s a season to plant seeds of hope, to nurture relationships, or to embrace healing and renewal. Maybe it’s a season to let go of the past, trusting God to lead you into something new.
My hope and prayer is that this year will be a season of growing in faith, and drawing closer to the Lord. May this new year be filled with God’s blessings, as we journey together as a church family, celebrating 250 years as a congregation, and embracing each season under heaven with faith and gratitude.
In Christ,
The Rev. John G. Rights
