Hustle & Bustle

I remember being told how time would move faster as I aged, and for the first 40 years of my life, I didn’t quite understand it. But when kids came and started growing, it became a very real truism for me. When I first came to First UMC Fox Hill, 16+ years ago, summers seemed slowed, and the fall seemed like a blur. Now, it all seems a blur! In fact, the last time I looked, September was a ways away, and October was not on the horizon. 
However, I have also read that one of the ways we can keep our brains younger is to have new or significant experiences.  Fortunately, the fall of the year provides many of those experiences for us at First UMC Fox Hill. From the pumpkin unloading on October 15, to the opening on the 17th, a visit from our DS, preparing for charge conference (Nov 1), Blessing of the Pets (Oct. 24), spaghetti with our youth (October 17, 6pm) Stewardship, Laity, and Time and Talent Sunday (October 25), and crowning out the month with All Saints’ Sunday (Nov. 1 this year!), there will be plenty of chances to share significant moments with others this fall – and I haven’t counted regular meetings and gatherings in this listing – only the special ones for the month.

While we are at it, there will be more opportunities during the fall to be part of special experiences: We will again be putting together shoeboxes for Samaritan’s Purse, collecting gifts for our angel tree, offering a staff bonus, getting ready for Thanksgiving, and of course, enjoying all the special moments that come as Christmas draws near.
 
So – I invite us to take moments of rest and relaxation whenever and wherever they come, as well as to participate in the events and moments that will bring significant value to your life. And I invite us to also take some moments to give thanks for the blessings already in our lives – for friends, family, people who love us and whom we love, as well as the beauty that comes in each season – not just the seasons of the year, but also the seasons of our lives. Most of all, remember that our lives are not a race to the finish line. Rather, our lives are meant to be a story in the tapestry of the world’s story – a story that begins with the overflowing love of God who created us in God’s image, and that will end in a great banquet table where we will sit in awe that the God of the Universe knows us and loves us by name.

As always, I am privileged to be your pastor and a fellow servant of Christ alongside you.