by Rev. Diane Rollert
September 18, 2022
Spirit of Life,
Ground of our being,
this morning the clouds
have nearly blocked
the bright colours of the rising sun,
the ferns are beginning to turn brown,
the fields beyond the city limits
are offering their final harvest,
the music that rang from local porches,
has played its final tunes,
while summer softly fades,
and the days of outdoor celebration
will soon come to an end.
We are a people who live with seasons,
who know what it is to revel
in the green of summer,
to anticipate the flash of crimson,
orange and yellow
before the return of winter.
Life changes constantly,
a daily forecast
from sun to storm
to passive clouds.
How long has it been
since you wrote, spoke, sang,
or thought a prayer?
How long has it been since
your heart was last broken
or grief washed over you?
Loss is a constant,
yet so is love.
Here is the secret:
we cannot do this alone.
For days when we are helpless,
for reassurance and encouragement —
for hope —
we need one another.
Here, in the quiet,
in the lighting of candles,
may we reaffirm
all that connects and sustains us,
young, old, every generation,
all of us together
in our joys
and in our sorrows.