Happy and Blessed September Everyone!

September brings a lot of new beginnings for so many people. For others, it is a time of harvest from all the arduous work of summer toil. Still, for some, it is a reminder that winter is just around the corner. So, what does September mean to you?

We start September liturgically this year with the story of Moses and the

Burning Bush. Just along we encounter Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew

telling his disciples that he was headed toward Jerusalem and why.

Wait! What? We were just talking harvest and new beginnings and now

we are talking about Jesus headed toward his death?

You may want to say, Pastor, we are supposed to be headed toward

Thanksgiving, Advent, Christmas, and even New Year Celebrations, not sorrow!

So, here is the thing about birth and new beginnings. All eventually will lead to death or ending, except in Christ. Endings are necessary for new things to start. What is it then, that we find so disheartening about change and loss? Is it because it does not meet our standards, our expectations? Are we afraid of the change new might bring? Or maybe we are just so touched by the loss that the pain becomes unbearable, and we get stuck? Over the years we have become more adept at blaming others for our problems, often entire generations are blamed for things. Younger people have innovative ideas that to others may seem ridiculous. Older generations believe their experience should overrule these misinformed youth. All the while younger generations blame the older for the state of disarray, and round and round we go.

You know, finger pointing and categorizing people into this group and that group assists in our redirection from our own responsibilities. Every group is doing this to each other. STOP IT! Let us pass love and not judgement.

Just like it is not right to categorize people in any other way, we should not say this group or that group. We need to love across the ages. We need to teach our children that they grow in love and not in hate. Why have we become so divisive across the generations of Millennials, Baby Boomers,

Gen Z crowd, or those Gen Xers and even Woke? STOP IT!

We say, we preach, we even covenant, that all are welcome here. We share over and over how we miss and want to see generations in worship with us, and some already do. Yet we, as a larger culture, tend to discount that which we already have in lieu of that for which we want. We complain

things are not how they should be and do nothing to change it. We are called to be the light of the world, the salt to add the flavor of the Jesus life. Let us open our hearts and our minds to the reality that Jesus went to the cross and died, that you might know salvation.

Join us then in worshiping the Lord, our God, on Sunday mornings at 10am. Become a member of the Bible Study Group on Thursdays at 11am.

Add your voice to the Coffee & Conversation on Monday mornings at the Rise Café 11am. If in need, join us for Grief Support on Wednesdays at 11am.

Offer yard work to the church grounds and Memorial Gardens. You do not need permission to weed or clean the church property. Give financially to help support this your church.

If you are not yet an official member and are interested, please speak with me or a deacon.

It is September and the time for something new has begun. Let us be that new creation as we co-create together with God this coming school year. May we see the flames of the burning bush and not be consumed. May we look forward to serving with giving and helping with the fundraisers we will

be having this month! Lord, lead us in paths everlasting and may our gifts overflow our cup. I n the name of Jesus. Amen.

Peace,

The Rev. Cheryl Rieder