“The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it; for he has founded it on the seas, and established it on the rivers.”—Psalm 24:1-2

As summer is drawing to a close, I hope that you have had some time to enjoy God’s beautiful creation. God has made amazing things: lakes, mountains, valleys, rivers, trees, hills, rocks, lava fields, glaciers and so much more. This is the stuff of creation but there is also all of us, the created. Maybe you have seen fish, deer, elk, bugs of all sorts, birds of all sorts and many of the amazing created things. I hope that you have also had a chance to reconnect with people. Family and friends, new people in your life who have brought joy, and lots of strangers who seem a little less strange after a short while.

Now I know that summer may have also brought death of a loved one, a new diagnosis, treatments (and lots of them), broken relationships, and strangers who may have seemed stranger after a short while. We also continue to see glaciers shrink and forests burn and we can wonder what is truly going on. There’s also an election forthcoming which seems to fit better in this paragraph than the one before.

Psalm 24’s opening verses are a great reminder in the midst of the high’s and low’s that we may be feeling. The earth is the Lord’s; we are the Lord’s. In the midst of uncertainty these words bring hope and comfort. This isn’t my mess to fix but instead I get to partner with all of you so that we can work together in the stewardship of all that God has given us.

We have one treasure that many covet the most and that is time. We love the summer because the days are longer and we feel like there is more time to enjoy this creation and one another. The days are getting shorter and in a few short months we will feel like there isn’t enough time to enjoy the light of day.

One thing I have seen as a pastor over the last 15 years is that when summer hits, time is often spent in other places away from the church. It’s renewal time to soak in the sun and take vacations and enjoy as much time as possible. As the fall comes, our time gets reallocated. Kids are in school maybe playing a sport. There are practices, meals, and homework to juggle. But I have also noticed that the fall is a season when church gets reallocated some time for Sunday School and Worship, for Bible Study and so many other things. I think there can even be a little excitement around this time of year.

However you have spent your time this summer know this, God has been with you in this time. In creation and Dr.’s Offices, lakes and hospitals, all of these places are held securely in God’s hands. As you are looking at your schedule for the fall, allocate some time to connect to the creator in worship with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Your time and God’s time will meet and maybe for a few moments all of the other stuff won’t matter as much.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Steve