Autumn Arrives with Beauty and Burden
Joy and abundance surround us if we can set down our burdens long enough to experience them.
As I write this post, I’m listening to the wind and realizing that this weekend might involve some yard clean-up. While that isn’t my favorite task, I don’t mind because I love the sound of autumn leaves blowing in the wind or crunching under my feet.
This literal season change always brings me joy as most of you know by now. However, this year the coming of autumn has been slow, weighed down by climate change. And less literally, it’s been burdened by the rapidly approaching election.
A few of us have been gathering on Wednesday evenings for simple worship services of hope and healing. While the gatherings are admittedly small, they have been centering and do indeed help build hope for our future as a nation.
There are two left so you still have time to join us before the election – in person or on Zoom.
On Sunday mornings we’ve been adventuring in the area of stewardship and what makes us good stewards, through readings from the Book of Job. The first week, we focused on gratitude, even among the ashes, as a means of building hope.
Last week we focused on the need for lamentations to set us free from the heavy burdens we carry. Lamentations can actually move us on the path toward recognizing the abundance we have. While we give thanks for abundance, we also ask ourselves how best to use the resources we have for the greater good.
This week, we will continue with Job and contemplate our gifts – as individuals and as a community – and how to best use them. We will be reminded that human beings are not gods, and, therefore, need to share life and resources more fully to ensure the well-being of all.
While thinking through all of this, I’ve realized that few people feel the need to be “in church” these days which both surprises me and doesn’t. For me, church is always where I want to be when life is challenging, even though church has frequently been part of the challenge.
It has me wondering how we can be more open, more inclusive, so folx who need a supportive, loving community can have one. How do we share the word about our community? How do we let people know that a community of care lessens the burdens of isolation, fear, and scarcity that are pervasive?
I don’t have the answers to these questions. Please think about them and ways that we can include more people. No one need go through this life feeling alone and disconnected.
In the meantime, may we all enjoy the beauty of these days – the bright colors, the sound of the winds, the cooler air, the smells of the season, and the company of loved ones.
About Rachael Keefe
Rev. Dr. Rachael Keefe is the pastor of Living Table United Church of Christ. She was called to Living Table in 2015 after serving in many varied ministry settings since her ordination in 1992. She holds graduate degrees from Princeton Theological Seminary and Andover Newton Seminary at Yale (formerly Andover Newton Theological School). Her ministry and leadership often center around advocacy and accessibility. Her writing has been published by Chalice Press, The Christian Century, Red Letter Christians, Working Preacher, RevGalBlogPals, and others. She is grateful to be in ministry with Living Table today.
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