Working with the season

This past couple of weeks we’ve noticed some changes in the natural world around us. Yellow, orange and even some reds have appeared upon the landscape of south-east Scotland….

At this very moment in time we dwell on the cusp, walking the liminal space between seasons. The abundance and fullness of summer seems to be falling away from us…..winds change, the tide turns, the nights draw in. We had summer holidays, fun and adventurous, we ran barefoot along shorelines, dunes and wildflower meadows, we drank sweet wine and cooked over beach-fires and bbq coals, we stayed up long into the summer night with music filling the air and soul, yet still not able to witness total darkness before sleep finally overtook us.

Autumn, you have to love its soulful idiosyncrasies and cosy characteristics, the old favourite woolly jumper comes out of the cupboard, the fire is lit for the first time in months, blustery walks in the woods or by the sea finish with a quick retreat inside for hot chocolate or maybe a wee dram, and if you’re in any village, town or city anywhere in the western hemisphere, the spiced pumpkin latte begins to make a reappearance.

In her book The Circle of Life, Joyce Rupp says “Autumn speaks of connection and yearning, wisdom and aging, transformation and surrender, emerging shadows, and most of all, mystery.” 

Transformation. Wisdom. Aging……. Autumn reminds us that there is change in our lives and in our world, there’s new pace of movement and perhaps even the end of things…… and that we, like nature itself, exist in a cyclical rhythm. The exuberant joy of summer must begin to wind down, surely we can’t live at that pace forever. Seasons come and go, spring’s new birth leads to summer’s fullness of life which leads to autumn’s slowing down and letting go, leading finally to winter, the hidden season, little growth, beneath the surface activity and even the muttering of…….. death.

This is uncomfortable for some, but for others who live with the category of the cyclical rhythm of nature, the cycle of birth, death and resurrection becomes an invitation to growth. For if we are to submit to the path of discipleship to Jesus, to the narrow way, we will indeed never return to the same place as the same person. Today, in this space between summer and autumn, we should not be arriving the same as we were last year.

It’s a form of spiral dynamics.

We learn from our experiences, if we are humble and committed to being life-long learners; we move on as Paul suggests, from milk to solids. In other words, we must be observant, noticing the invitations to growth and new understanding along the everyday paths we journey, and then be willing to receive those invitations as a gift. That means we deepen, we expand, and mature in wisdom and faith as followers of Jesus. Like the spiral, we return to the same place, but we’re the ones who have moved up to a new level.

One Biblical example might be Martha. Her family are hosting Jesus and his travelling companions. She is upset at her sister for sitting and listening to Jesus when she is doing all the work. Fair point perhaps. But Jesus says that Mary has chosen well. We see them later in the story and they are all at the house again, this time Martha is working hard and yet she doesn’t complain. The scenario is revisiting an old ‘place’ but the heart of Martha has changed. This time she is happy in her serving. Further up the spiral.

But before we enter this season of letting go, this season of connection, yearning, wisdom, transformation, mystery (sounds exciting, doesn’t it?) first, we must acknowledge the transition and begin with thankfulness, gratitude for what has come before. We must look back to move forward. We give thanks for God’s provision, presence and guidance.

I invite you to pause, spend a minute in silence to think back over the past season, could be a month or three.

• Where have you seen the goodness of God come through for you?

• Where might you have seen the reality of the Kingdom of God in your own life?

• Where have you felt like God’s son or daughter?

You may want to simply hold your gratitude before God, as an offering.

Now let’s turn our gaze forwards. What might this new season hold for us?

If we are to work with the seasons, what does that mean for us now?

As we mentioned before, there is a posture of yielding that we must adopt, particularly as we move into autumn. Why particularly autumn? Because this is the season of letting go, just like the branches of a deciduous tree letting go of the leaves, nature produces less readying itself for winter.

If we reframe it, there is great beauty in the death of things, or maybe a little kinder….the end of things. Some things just aren't supposed to stay attached. In the right season, at the right time, change occurs and the right things de-tach. Sometimes, our own hands grip too tightly to things that need to fall, to things that were once green, full of life and possibility but are like that no longer. Maybe the uncurling of fingers and the release of grasping would allow dead things to take flight at their proper time.

Perhaps the Lord of the harvest, the Author of life is saying, “Come child, learn to let go, Winter comes swiftly, the hidden season. You will need to befriend the dark, the cold, find beauty in the new season. Winter is your deepening, you will need your hands.”

As you consider these themes of autumn, of letting go, what stirs in your heart?

• Is there something that God is calling you to lay down, let go of? Is there anything holding you back? What might the reluctance be about perhaps?

• Or maybe you’re exciting, running into this new season. Perhaps you’re actually letting go of the pressure to produce and that is SO very liberating right now! What does that feel like?

One of the foundational invitations of Jesus is found in Matthew 11 (The Message):

“Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest.

Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.

Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

As we move into the season, let’s remember these words, so beautifully paraphrased by Eugene Peterson.

Jesus is calling you to come to Him, get away with him and recover your life as he shows you how to find deep rest for your soul.

Watch him.

Work with him.

Learn from him.

The Invitation is to walk freely and lightly in the unforced rhythm of grace.

Let’s each open our hearts and minds to consider how we might enter into that with Jesus.

Amen.

Jon Timms

Joint CEO, Rural Ministries