Readying Ourselves for Autumn

As summer draws to a close and we ready ourselves for the season of autumn, our EarthCARE committee invites us into a reflection on the many learnings of this upcoming season. We notice what our neighbors of the plant and animal families are engaged in now. It’s a time of preparation and burrowing deep, as we observe squirrels busily gathering acorns, nuts, and seeds to store in reserve for the winter. It’s a season of seeking safety and welcome, as geese, hummingbirds, swallows, warblers, and other feathered friends begin the arduous journey away from a harsh Northeast climate to the welcoming warmth of the south. It’s also a season of harvest as our human neighbors bring in corn and other grains as food for their livestock during the barren winter months. And at this time of year, some gardeners plant bulbs for spring flowering, which offers this autumn perspective:

When you’re in a dark place,
You sometimes think You’ve been buried.
Perhaps you’ve actually been planted.
Bloom

In this season of burrowing deep, we’re invited into reflection:

What is nearing a harvest of completion in you? Where in your life might you feel a sense of fulfillment, of God’s grace and action become visible in you?

What do you need to gather into your barns and store in reserve? What sustains, supports, and nourishes you? What qualities or attitudes will you, with God’s grace, depend on in the days ahead?

What fields are still unexplored and inviting a fresh imagining? What possibilities grab your soul? excite you? energize you? stir your imagination?

What untended pastures call for your attention and speak to the deepest longing of your heart? What do you desire for yourself and others at this time in your life? How are you experiencing Spirit moving within you? Where are you being led now?