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What’s your favorite season? Rev. Cheryl Meachen My favorite season is autumn with its beautiful leaves, brilliant blue skies and crisp fall air; no wait … it’s winter with fields of sparkling snow, ice tipped trees and frozen nostril hairs the minute I step out the door; but … I love the smell of spring mud, the taste of sugar on snow and the beautiful flowers and that particular spring green of tree leaves as they bud and burst onto the scene. Okay, okay. I love them all! You know the joke … the one where they say sure, New England has four seasons: winter, winter, winter and construction; but I say we have the most exquisite seasons, so different from one another, so wonderful, so obviously created by an awesome God with a great sense of aesthetics and an even better sense of humor. I mean, have you seen a giraffe or a hummingbird? Hilarious! Life is like that too, isn’t it? Life is cyclical. We have times of pure bliss creating new relationships, welcoming babies, celebrating the milestones of graduation and new jobs; but we also have times of despair, losing a loved one, facing a difficult diagnosis or the end of a relationship. We are born, we learn, we grow, we age and we die. When I buy my pansies in the spring, I think they are hardy and will endure cold well so they will last forever. Then they get leggy and have fewer blossoms and no matter how many years I’ve been planting them, I wonder whether I’ve done something wrong. Have I put them in too sunny or shady a spot? Have I watered them too much or too little? The reality is that they have a seasonal cycle. They’re done. Their season is complete. My planting experience repeats the cycle with geraniums in summer whose blossoms fall that are then replaced by fall chrysanthemums whose blooms wither and are finally replaced by Christmas wreaths. It is difficult realizing that we too, are only here for a season. I’ve recently noticed that I need reading glasses for the smaller print. The store clerks and nurses are looking younger and the image in the mirror is looking older. It only makes sense that human institutions go through the same cycles of birth and growth, decline and decay. Churches aren’t as big and vibrant as they were in the 1950s and we feel nostalgic for the times of burgeoning Sunday Schools and vibrant youth groups. We worry that we haven’t done enough. There is a Greek proverb that says, “A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” The bible has a similar sentiment in 1 Corinthians 3, where Paul says that one plants, another waters, but God gives the growth. We are called to plant and water, knowing that future generations will benefit. We are called to live in the moment, enjoy what we have, knowing the rest will be taken care of in due time. A friend recently told me that she had taken her mom on vacation to Acadia National Park, a beautiful mountainous place on the Maine coastline. The mom would say how thoroughly she enjoyed each wave and stone, each tree and scenic vista. But, you see, that dear mom has Alzheimer’s and once they left the spot, she could not remember it at all. None of it. It was very sad for my friend who had been so pleased to share a wonderful experience with her mom but she realized something very important. She realized that we must live for the present. We must enjoy each moment as we have it. We are blessed here in New England with gorgeous seasons. Those of us who have lived here for years know the harbingers of each coming season—each birth and death and rebirth. Don’t fret when the harvest is less than you might have hoped. Plant and water. God will take care of the rest. Enjoy each moment you are given. Worship this Sunday, September 28th at 8:45am includes scripture from Exodus 17:1-7, the story of the travel weary Israelites on their way to the Promised Land, complaining, when God instructs Moses to strike a rock which provides water, read by Mary Lou Barton. Rev. Cheryl Meachen’s sermon, entitled Quit Yer Complainin’ will explore God’s provision for us, even when we complain and doubt that we will have what we need. Marilyn Kugler will lead the choir and music. Emily Herron-Clark will share a children's message. Contact us via e-mail [email protected] or phone 413-774-6441. The church is located at 15 West Leyden Road across from Town Hall and is handicap-accessible. All are welcome! Worship this Sunday, September 14th at 8:45am includes scripture from Matthew 20:1-16, Jesus’ parable of workers coming early or late to the vineyard being paid the same wages, read by Mary Lou Barton. Rev. Cheryl Meachen’s sermon, entitled Oppression and Opportunity will explore where God is in the economic inequity in America. Marilyn Kugler will lead the choir and music. Emily Herron-Clark will share a children's message. Contact us via e-mail [email protected] or phone 413-774-6441. The church is located at 15 West Leyden Road across from Town Hall and is handicap-accessible. All are welcome! Worship this Sunday, September 14th at 8:45am includes scripture from Romans 14:1-12, Paul’s letter to the Romans admonishing them not to pass judgment on others’ beliefs. Rev. Cheryl Meachen’s sermon, entitled “I May be Wrong” will explore the importance of full confidence in belief while keeping an open mind. Contact us via e-mail [email protected] or phone 413-774-6441. The church is located at 15 West Leyden Road across from Town Hall and is handicap-accessible. All are welcome! Worship this Sunday, September 7th at 8:45am will be held at the church’s Franklin County Fair booth at 87 Wisdom Way, Greenfield MA. The service, led by Rev. Cheryl Meachen, will include a variety of scripture and hymns telling the story of our faith and will be highly interactive. Marilyn Kugler will bring a portable keyboard and lead our music. Communion will be celebrated. All are welcome at the Lord’s Table and all are welcome to stay after worship to enjoy the fair and patronize the food booth for delicious pancakes and more! Contact us via e-mail [email protected] or phone 413-774-6441. All are welcome! |
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May 2016
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