Seasons Change

      A Time and Season        

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace."

                                          Eccl 3:1-8 NRSV

 

There is a time and season for every purpose under the sun. Every spring and fall I look for the trumpeter swans to spend a few days in the river behind the house as they make their seasonal journey either north or south. For the last two years, pelicans have also made this a place to spend a day or two. The sight of them brings me much joy.

Every season brings change. Some of the changes are most pleasing like welcoming back the trumpeter swans. Other changes are not quite so pleasing. Even as the natural world around us changes, so do we. We change with time. We grow older; hopefully, we grow wiser. And, even more hopefully, with each season of life's experiences and challenges, we grow closer to the Lord.

Our journey through the wilderness of this world can be quite a challenge. We have good times and bad. Know that whatever befalls you, the Lord is with you in every time and season.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Jeremiah 16 - The Warning Relevant For Today?

I am thinking that the LORD sure gave Israel a lot of warning and time to repent before He sent them into exile and captivity in Babylon. He warned them and warned them that the worship of their false gods was going to have some consequences. But, they did not listen to His promise of destruction through Jeremiah. They simply did not understand that they were bringing a curse upon the land and that God knew every one of their actions. There was nothing done in secret that God could not see. He saw it all. He sees it all, even today.

The consequences were going to be bad. Don't bother marrying or having children in that time, they are warned, for your children will die of deadly diseases in the land that you are being exiled to. There will be no joy or gladness in those days.

All had turned away from God. All had done what was evil in His sight. Therefore, the LORD promises to bring them back to Himself. 

“Therefore I will teach them—
    this time I will teach them
    my power and might.
Then they will know
    that my name is the Lord." (Jer 16:21)

But, there is hope even in this dire warning. There will be a day as they live in captivity that they will learn to turn to the LORD and they will say: "Lord, my strength and my fortress, my refuge in time of distress..." (Jer 16:19) And.. the LORD will restore them to the land which He had driven them from. The LORD will have mercy upon His children who had strayed and desired to be returned to the land (the kingdom) that He had promised them.

Every now and then a few members of my congregation mention that they would like me to try to make the scriptures sound more relevant for today, use a few more personal, timely examples. And... I think, I should probably not go there, by using clear examples. I'm thinking that if I narrow it down more than scripture already has it becomes to easy for everyone to point the finger at someone else. I believe that the exhortations of the LORD through Jeremiah to stop worshipping false idols and turn to the LORD is already quite relevant for today. If we are honest with ourselves, we should be able to see quite clearly the examples in our own lives and the trouble that we are bringing upon ourselves as we seek to serve other gods and to build up little kingdoms of our own. Seek first the kingdom of God... Seek the land that He has promised and care for that land, before you find yourself exiled in a land that holds you in captivity.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Ecclesiastes 3 - Turn! Turn! Turn! to Everything There is a Season

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. (Eccl 3:1-8 NIV)

 

"Turn! Turn! Turn! to Everything There is a Season." Many of you probably recognize Ecclesiastes 3 from actually reading it before. Some of you may have heard parts of it a funeral or maybe on Ash Wednesday when we hear words similar to "from dust you are, to dust you shall return." Some of you may remember these words from the song Pete Seeger wrote in 1959, which was recorded by various artists. Seger basically put the words from Ecclesiastes 3 to music and added 2 things:  the words "Turn, Turn, Turn" and "a time for peace, I swear it's not too late." In 1969 the Byrds' recording of it became a hit, making Ecclesiastes 3 one of the oldest lyrics (written by Solomon) to become a hit on the pop charts.

There is a time for peace, I swear it's not to late. There is a time and season for everything. It is not to turn our hearts away from the injustice of the world and turn toward the path which God intends for us to follow so that we might truly live life. It is not to late to turn our lives around and live in His presence and in His peace.

Let there be peace on earth. Let us treat one another justly, causing no one more anxiety. If there is to be anxiety, it will come in its allotted time and season for God's purpose. We do not have to manufacture it for ourselves or others. Let us take each day as it comes before us and learn to live life as God intended us to live, enjoying the fruits of the garden, enjoying the fruits of the day, even as we labor to eat and drink, to provide for the necessities of our lives. May God grant that we should be happy and find satisfaction in our toil. May God grant us peace with Him and with one another even as we strive to live life in this world accepting every thing that comes to us in whatever time or season.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Nehemiah 8 - Faith Comes By Hearing

I love it... "...all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law." (vs 3 NIV) and "Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground." (vs 6)

These people gathered together to hear the word.  They took it seriously.  They bowed before the LORD and they wept.  But, Nehemiah, Ezra, and the Levites told them, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep." (vs 9)

So often, I hear others say that you don't have to attend worship to believe.  Well, here we have the children of God and until they gathered together to hear the word found in the book; until they heard it proclaimed; they did not, seriously, take it to heart.  But, when they hear it, they wept.  But, this news that they hear is for their edification.  They are to rejoice that the LORD cares for them so much. 

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.  (Rom 10:17 NKJV) 

Please, wherever you are, find a place to worship the LORD, in the community of God's people.  Hear His Word.  Hear the Good News of the kingdom, so that you too may rejoice in what the LORD has done for you.