September Pastoral Letter
Dear Friends,
Rhythm is one of the central aspects of music in all its forms. Rhythm gives structure to the music and brings the musical notes to life.
Rhythm, however, is not just for music. Life is full of rhythms. There are natural rhythms in nature: the waves at the shore, the wind in the trees, the cycles of the moon. The human body is made up of rhythms: heartbeat, breathing, sleeping and waking. And of course, there is the rhythm of the seasons: winter, spring, summer, and fall. Try singing this verse of “Autumn Time is Coming” to the tune of “Frere Jacques”:
Red leaves falling, Red leaves falling
On the ground, On the ground
Autumn-time is coming, Autumn-time is coming
All around, All around
Rhythm is a normal part of life. And yet, sometimes we give rhythms a bad rap with our insistence on newness, our desire to break out of our regular routines and rhythms. Rev. Laura Robinson, in her article “Acknowledging the Beauty of Rhythms,” writes: What if we acknowledged that rhythms are a little gift from God reminding us that we are all on this wild ride together–just hanging on. That we are not rewriting the schedule to our every whim, but just here to experience the rhythm. To trust it. To be part of it.”
September is the month of returning to regular rhythms–kids go back to school, parents go back to work, and we all go back to church (on Sept. 11 in the sanctuary at 10:30 AM). The church gives a gift of the liturgical calendar. What is that? It’s a rhythm of the Christian story that moves through the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the birth and life of the church. As we move through the story of God’s redemptive love for all times, we are drawn into the rhythm of our call as disciples to live faithfully throughout all the seasons–taking one day at a time, lifting one prayer at a time, enjoying one blessing at a time.
In fact, in the “Importance of Rhythm in Everyday Life,” Dr. Shahram Heshmat writes, “Rhythms have significant implications for our well-being. Feeling connected to our social communities causes the release of endorphins, which are associated with feelings of pleasure and gratification and a sense of trust.”
Church is where we find a place that grounds us in traditional rhythms, surrounds us with a beloved community of people, and lifts our hearts to God and our voices in praise. One of my favorite hymns that we sing in church speaks of holy rhythms of earth and love which we can trust and for which we sing praise. Here is a recording and here are the lyrics (by John Rutter):
For the beauty of the earth
For the glory of the skies
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies
Over and around us lies
'Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This our joyful hymn of praise
For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night
Hill and vale and tree and flow'r
Sun and Moon and stars of light
Sun and Moon and stars of light
'Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This our joyful hymn of praise
For the joy of human love
Brother, sister, parent, child
Friends on earth and friends above
For all gentle thoughts and mild
For all gentle thoughts and mild
'Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This our joyful hymn of praise
As time continues to beat its drum, and Summer slowly hands over the reins to Autumn, I invite you to allow the rhythms of our Christian faith–our prayers, our worship, our hymns of praise, and even the beauty of the earth and its changing seasons–to remind you of the story of God’s redemptive love for all times. I pray that in this season and all the seasons of your life, that the Author of the seasons will bless you with a rhythm of seeking God and finding God’s eternal love and abiding presence. All around, All around.
Faithfully yours,
Pastor Donna