Dear Friends in Christ,
Have you ever heard the expression “running on marbles?” It’s that sense that you’re
running without making much progress. That’s a bit how it can feel in the life
of the Church when autumn rolls around. Everything starts up again: Sunday
School, Confirmation Class, the whole series of fall festivals like the Chicken
BBQ, Blessing of the Animals, Reformation Sunday, Stewardship programs, etc.!!!
Once one thing gets planned and started, another pops up needing to be begun!
Just the other day I had a lengthy drive and, in those hours alone in the car
when I couldn’t be “busy”, I realized that the leaves had turned brilliant
against the blue, cloudless sky and that everything---both in nature and in the
life of the congregation---was moving forward just as it should. Sunday School
is enjoying the new Sparkhouse Digital materials, Morning Manna is taking the
weekly lesson and going in a little deeper, our first unit of catechesis is
done and another beginning, Stewardship sermons are preached, food drive items
mounding up…and the next re-formation will be snowdrifts against a Christmas
tree! This has not been the work of any one pair of hands, but the ideas,
planning, and work of all of us together. Seamlessly the days have flown past
and the work of teaching, caring, and helping began, and grew, and is
beautiful.
I’ve recently entered another decade of life and in this personal autumn period,
I’ve been running on marbles, starting work I can never finish. I suspect I’m
no different than you! We’ve all heard Psalm 90:12 (NRSV) which says, “So teach
us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart.” I like the paraphrase
found in the New Living Translation (NLT), “Teach us to realize the brevity of
life, so that we may grow in wisdom.” Yes, the days, weeks, and years are
moving past quickly and there is always more to do but the Psalmist reminds me
that I need to stop each day and look around. When I do, I see all the various
gifts given by the many hands that have taught, cared for, and helped me.  Part of being wise is knowing that nobody can
run on marbles without falling; we need
each other to help us up! Realizing this gives us reason in EVERY season to
give thanks to the one who made us and given us into each other’s keeping.
Knowing that God is the source and ground of all things--- what we do, who we
are, and who we will be throughout eternity---that’s the true beginning of
wisdom!
To use the words of St. Paul (found near the beginning of his letters to the Church in
Rome, Corinth, Ephesus, Philippi, Colossi, and Thessalonika): I thank God for
you! Each and every one! May this spirit of ThanksGiving live in us each day!

SAM Jeannine