September/October Newsletter

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"To Autumn"

By John Keats

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness!
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;

Through Keats' vivid imagery, readers can almost feel the mist and envision the ripe fruits of autumn. The poem evokes a sense of tranquility and acceptance, reminding us that even as nature transitions, it maintains its inherent beauty.

Isaiah 43:18-19 ESV

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

A few days ago, while driving from Easton to Denton along 328, I encountered a school bus traveling in a similar direction. We both passed fields of stubble where grain had been harvested and corn fields that began to show signs of maturing along their perimeters, which were exposed to hot summer winds.

There is a sense of change in the air, fading are the warm summer nights and sultry days. At eventide, windows now open to trade out the air and naturally cool our sitting rooms. Remnants of gardens put forth sporadic blossoms as plants seem to fight off the approaching forces of Autumn. For some this is an anticipated season, wardrobes are being unfolded, tank tops and tee shirts will trade places on hangers with flannels and sweaters. Some have hidden from the imposing grasp of summer’s rays; they are chrysalis waiting for the cooler air to signal their birth. Autumn is their time, like monarchs they will break out and celebrate change.

God has richer and better in store for each of us; change is the exciting next step in our lives. I genuinely believe that those who do not press toward the next have already died.  Some reading this have packed cars and carried their children off to college, where, prayerfully, good choices will be made by your budding adults. Social peers and professors will take the reins that home and parenting once held. I pray that you move into your next with anticipatory confidence in God’s omniscience and a willingness to do your part in providing building blocks for those who come behind you.

Grace and Peace to you all

Pastor Paul Merritt