Something has shifted in the last week. It's getting colder. It's getting darker. Midterms ensue. It ain't summer anymore.
All around us we see signs that seasons are changing. Tee-shirts are being pushed to the back of the drawer, hoodies are donned. I even spotted the first puffy vest yesterday. Picnics at the beach are being traded in for study-snacks in the library. The office softball team has hung up their gloves for yet another season - it's time to get to work.
And with changes in seasons come changes in the rhythms of life. There's a cadence to summer living that shifts when the fall hits. Our routines change. Our activities change. This variety is one of my favorite parts about life - the anticipation of something new, yet familiar.
I'm reminded of the great poem from Ecclesiastes 3 (special thanks to the Byrds for the tune playing in my head whenever I read it):
There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
With this new season, what new rhythm do you need? Is it stepping into something? Is it stepping out of something?
In our life with God there are seasons. And in each season we need different rhythms. For some it's time to rest, for others is time to press in. For those of you feeling a deep need to press in, I want to invite you to something. I invite you to be part of a group that feels the same, a group that would meet regularly, intentionally, and with purpose.
The idea is to match three people with a mentor who would then meet to study and memorize scripture, to pray, to build up your life in God. It's not for everyone. Everyone's invited, for sure, but not everyone is moving into this kind of season. It's intentional, it takes work, it requires commitment. So if this is your season to press in, if it's time for a change in your rhythm, grab your puffy vest and let's go. New seasons call for new rhythms. Drop me a line if you're in.
Keith
keithw@nsac.bc.ca