In this November reflection, Pastor Bob considers the rhythm of endings and beginnings that shape both nature and faith. As we move through a season of remembrance and thanksgiving, he invites us to recognize the blessings of the past year and prepare our hearts for renewal in the season ahead.
And God said, “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years.
Genesis 1:14
You shall observe the festival of ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in from the field the fruit of your labor.
Exodus 23:16
The days are getting shorter. We can feel the changes in the air after a long, hot, and dry summer. The trees have lost their summery green covering, the annual flowers have been removed, and the autumn decorations are reminding us that another year is quickly waning.
For me, this is a time of reflection, a time to look back and see the year now ending. The liturgical year ends on the last Sunday of this month, when we begin Advent. Before we get there, however, we pass two distinct moments.
The first has just passed—the celebration of All Saints, or Souls. This is a time to look back and remember those who have come before us. It is a time to recognize all who have brought us to this time, and it is a time to acknowledge our grief and loss from the passing year. The falling leaves and the shortening days can remind us that there is a cycle to nature that we must accept.
Second, we look back with thanks for the blessings of the year. This is called the Harvest Festival, or the ingathering, in scripture; we call it Thanksgiving. We should recall that Thanksgiving began as a celebration in the Biblical sense, a way of offering thanks to God, who has provided for our needs. It is not just a time to see how much turkey and pie we can eat! The Pilgrims were aware that without God—and their native friends—they would not have made it. We all need to step back and acknowledge the blessings of life.
These two remembrances, one of loss and one of blessing, help us to be ready for the cycle to begin again as we await the coming of a new year and the new possibilities it will bring.
