(Sermons: Click on the Links on the bottom of the page for some of Rebecca's sermons.)      
 Footprints        

Wasn’t the Sweet Hollow choir’s version of “Turn, Turn, Turn” beautiful?  They sang it a couple of weeks ago and I’ve been thinking about it ever since.  The lyrics are from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, which begins “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; … a time to break down and time to build up.” 

These words are so pertinent to me particularly at this season.  The summer months come and things begin to slow down as far as activity at the church is concerned.  We’re moving into a time to rest, a Sabbath time, if you will.  A time to ponder, and to read, and to pray.  But at the same time, there will be a lot of activity around the church that involves breaking down and building up.  The sanctuary roof will be coming off right after the 4^th of July and being built back up again, better than before.  Elder Ray Moder assures me that this will not affect our ability to worship there, but even if it does, perhaps it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to praise the Lord in God’s creation as we did on June 6^th during Sunday School Recognition Sunday.

As I drive into the parking lot every morning, the first thing I see is Les Waters’ burning bush, growing so full and beautifully in the short time since we lost him.  The session is pondering how and when to build a labyrinth near that spot, hopefully over the summer as well.  So here we have “a time to die” amidst “a time to plant” amidst “a time to build up.”  Somehow a time to die does not seem so painful when it is surrounded by the growing and building in and of God’s creation.  I believe that to be so when I look across the parking lot to the tree planted in Ben Henn’s memory and the bush in honor of John Chacalos’ contribution as Assistant Treasurer for so many years.  Those beloved individuals live on not only in our hearts but in our visual memory too.

Then, of course, there are the new babies in our congregation and on the way.  There is Ben Greller and as of last Tuesday, Evan Pereira, and Peter and Jessica Teelucksingh’s little one expected in the September.  We’re seeing “a time to be born” all around us and what a blessing it is!

The next verses in Ecclesiastes say, “a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.”  I think it is our instinct as human being to want to deny the weeping and mourning times and gravitate toward the laughing and dancing times.  But in reality, the two support each, strengthen each other, deepen each other.  Take a moment and simply ponder the times in your lives when you have done either – or perhaps both at the same time.  One of the most blessed parts of my ministry is officiating at funerals.  They are painful, but also filled with such grace as people share with me the depth of their love for the one who’s being mourned.  Usually in those times, we are also gifted with moments of laughter and even joy as we celebrate his or her life.  So sometimes these opposites that are listed in Ecclesiastes are not distinctly separate, but interact with each other in strong and meaningful ways.

I would like to give you some gentle “homework” over the summer.  Take your Bible, mark it at Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (Ecclesiastes is right after Proverbs, which is right after Psalms, which is pretty much in the middle of the Bible), and ponder one verse each week.  Print the verse on a piece of paper and take it with you in your wallet or billfold.  Read it and think about it as you sunbathe at the beach.  Consider it while you’re doing your housekeeping or commuting to work.  Then when we come back in the fall, we’ll have a “Turn, Turn, Turn” party with food and fellowship and an opportunity to share stories and memories and thoughts about our experiences with these eight verses.

Meanwhile, have a great summer!  Remember: even as the seasons turn, we’re still here every Sunday at 10:00 a.m. looking forward to worshipping with you all summer long.

-          Rev. Rebecca Segers

Sermons: Click on the following links to listen to Rebecca's MP3 version of her sermons.