New Beginnings

There is a season for everything.  Ecclesiastes says this best:


Ecclesiastes 3
A Time for Everything 

1 There is a time for everything, 
       and a season for every activity under heaven: 2 a time to be born and a time to die, 
       a time to plant and a time to uproot,

 3 a time to kill and a time to heal, 
       a time to tear down and a time to build,

 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, 
       a time to mourn and a time to dance,

 5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, 
       a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

 6 a time to search and a time to give up, 
       a time to keep and a time to throw away,

 7 a time to tear and a time to mend, 
       a time to be silent and a time to speak,

 8 a time to love and a time to hate, 
       a time for war and a time for peace.




Or if you prefer the song:

To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under Heaven

A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep

To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under Heaven

A time to build up,a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together

To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under Heaven

A time of love, a time of hate
A time of war, a time of peace
A time you may embrace, a time to refrain from embracing

To Everything (Turn, Turn, Turn)
There is a season (Turn, Turn, Turn)
And a time to every purpose, under Heaven

A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time for love, a time for hate
A time for peace, I swear it's not too late

-Turn Turn Turn by the Byrds

There is a season of new at the congregation that I work with.  Yesterday we celebrated a baptism (New creature), a baby blessing (obvious), new kindergartners, new college freshmen, and a new minister.  It was  a great day where the Spirit was very alive.

Sometimes as we journey along in our churches we find a comfortable pattern.  We take the adage, "If it's not broke, don't fix it" too seriously and over time it doesn't break, it just decays.  We need newness individually and corporately.  When we find time to be renewed we find refreshment, new vision, and energy.  Then we can continue the mission of God that never grows old..."Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." -Matthew 28:19

What do you do in your journey to be renewed?  What has your church done lately to be reenergized?

-Michael

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