Dear Church Family,
The past two weeks our weather changed dramatically. Last week felt like summer – wonderfully warm & sunny afternoons, this week felt like winter again with cloudy, cool and rains. Sometimes it makes us ask – what season are we in?
The seasons of our life come with expectations that they will resemble the same one last year. I anticipate each winter to have some cloudy & cool days, some rain. I expect summer to be sunny, hot & dry. I trust the trees will bud each spring and the winter solstice will be magically dark.
We remember the famous scripture from Ecclesiastes 3; For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven. The scripture describes the seasons of our lives, not the climate.
Last week a congregant shared their sadness about the congregants who have made their transition recently. They said, “There are too many of them going at the same time.” I know what they mean, we all feel a sense of sadness and loss when the people we love move on. It has been a season of letting go. A season of souls leaving this Earthly journey.
We have to remember that death is consciously and unconsciously a big part of our current global conversation. Since the advent of Covid it appears that large numbers of souls are letting go of the human experience. Not all from covid, but the virus has exacerbated the numbers of souls who have gone on.
It's not our imagination, the death rate in the US has increased 17% in 2021 alone. As Truth Students we understand that our soul lives on after the death of our body. We accept that we continue to do the work that increases awareness and unfolds consciousness. To this there is never an end, only eternity. But as humans we participate in the seasons as described in the scripture and we know there is A time to be born and a time to die.
I share in your grief, as our beloveds move from their human experience back into their state of consciousness. I miss their laughter, sharing in the simple experiences and their presence. And I hold the promise that we are never separated in spirit – they are always a part of us…and we are a part of them.
And I remind myself that grief is a season, too. It can appear to be long, painful and lonely. But it really is time to nurture the field of our heart for future plantings of love. This is God’s true desire for us; to live in love with each other. Surprisingly grief can open us up to this.
Ultimately the seasons prepare us not to get too attached, because it will change. It is the nature of seasons to do so. It is the nature of our soul’s journey, too. Holding you in love, light, faith and strength as you experience the seasons of your journey. Remember to open yourself up to experience God’s Good along the way. Remember, we are here for you!
Many blessings,
Pastor Robert