Fall is upon us. The autumnal equinox occurred just a few days ago. I find that I am attracted to transition moments - sunrises, sunsets, the changes of seasons. They help me pay attention to the ongoing process of transformation. The truth is that every moment is a transition moment and the whole world and all of us in it are always and forever in the process of change and transformation. But most of the time we are so busy paying attention to something else that we fail to notice. Which is why I appreciate those occasions when it is so dramatic that I can't miss it. The setting sun paints the clouds with amazing hues of yellow, orange, and red. The trees use that same palette to paint their leaves. Then my only response is to stand in breathless awe. Then I stand a chance of remembering that every moment is a gift of as yet unrealized potentiality just waiting to be unwrapped. I saw a quote the other day. “The trees are about to show us how lovely it is to let things go.” I can cling tightly to the way things are, or I can let go into the promise of the way things are becoming. Change will occur whether I like it or not, whether I notice or not. But when I notice and surrender I get to enjoy it. The apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, “And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of God as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image, from one degree of glory to another.” (2 Corinthians 3:18) I invite you to join me in paying attention to the amazing process of transformation that is happening all around us and within us in every moment. It is an ongoing gift from God. May we notice it. May we celebrate it. May we enjoy it. May we participate in it.
- Pastor Roger
(keeping my feet firmly planted in the flow)
