Loading...Dear Friends in Christ,
In Ecclesiastes we read this: "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven." As surely as the seasons change, so there are changes in our lives. We have a new bishop, we have new people in our parishes, and we lose members. We have new vestries and leaders in our parishes. We have a new heating system at Hunter House.
Things change. We grow up. We grow older. Because, we have new responsibilities, our priorities change. We share our dreams with another person. We worry about the children we are blessed with. We get old. As we grow older, our bodies change, and we can't do those things we used to do or want to do. I agree with the old cliche, "Getting old is not for sissies." It's not, but it is so much better than I thought it would be.
Ecclesiastes goes on to say:
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 time to hate;
A time for war, and a time for peace.
Things change. My prayer is that we follow Niebuhr's serenity prayer - "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference." We need the wisdom to know when to plant and when to pluck up, when to keep and when to throw away, when to weep and when to laugh.
At Stras, we have a new organist/pianist. Jonathan Stilwell has been with us for a while, adding beauty and inspiration to our services. Jonathan graduated from Tazewell High School this year and is a student at Southwest Virginia Community College. We thank Chris Brown for ably filling in after the illness and death of long-time organist, Cassie French.
Belinda Leist has retired as Cluster Secretary after almost twelve years of keeping me on track. Tammy Bowles has jumped in with both feet. She is also a graduate of THS and a former band student of mine.
Things change, but God's love for us never changes. He always loves us unconditionally. May we be worthy of His love by loving others as He loves us.
God Bless you all.
In Christ's Love,
Father Russ
