While visiting my parents this past week, I took a drive to enjoy east coast fall foliage… but that sentence doesn’t exactly capture it. Ever since leaving home, I’ve told people all around the U.S. that my ultimate image of leaf-changing beauty is driving I-80 into the Delaware Water Gap (NJ/PA). Winding through Appalachian Mountains along “my” river (the one I grew up playing in and around) trees clothe themselves in every hue: purple magenta to neon orange to pale yellow mixed with all possible greens. Getting to see this again after so many years reminded me how much I appreciate the beautiful cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Sure, I see how my tomatoes produce “volunteers” each spring—new life emerging from rotted fruit—but witnessing the awe in the actual dying process is something we often bypass. Except in the fall.
This coming Sunday we’ll celebrate All Saints and All Souls in worship. This is the service when we name the church members and friends who died since this service last year. It’s an opportunity for us to remember how our faith invites us to ponder life, death, and rebirth in a society that doesn’t often like to face such things. It’s a time to connect with the living who continue to grieve, honoring a presence that is so missed. It’s also a time to remember that the cycle continues.
As a tangible way to participate in this cycle, we will be planting flower bulbs around the church grounds following worship on Sunday. We ask you to divide bulbs from your own gardens, if you have them, and bring them to worship. I shared in a sermon recently that the iris growing by my front gate were planted in Iowa by my spouse Jamie’s great grandmother and divided a few years ago for us to replant; I will bring some of these to be part of the diverse beauty that will soon grow around our church, remembering how “from the past will come the future.”[1] There will also be extra bulbs, if you’d like to plant in memory of a loved one. Mostly, I hope you will join us to remember all those who’ve gone before and helped shape who we are today. It is good to be witness to this beautiful cycle.
In faith, Sharon
[1] Lyric from “Hymn of Promise” or “In the Bulb There Is a Flower” by Natalie Sleeth. This is also our stewardship theme right now.
Ministry Highlight
"In the Bulb There Is a Flower” - We need tulip, crocus, iris, or daffodil bulbs from your gardens!
Bring your bulbs to worship this Sunday, October 29, and we will ask God’s blessing on them. After church you can plant your bulbs and add a name marker to your plot. We are also planting bulbs on Saturday November 4 from 10:00 am-2:00 pm around the church grounds.
Instructions will be provided on both days, and holes will be dug ahead of time for you. Bring your own bulbs, buckets, digging tools, or kneeling pads. We provide compost, markers, and a limited number of store-bought bulbs. So bulbs from your own garden are encouraged! For info contact Lyz Staman.
