Many of us will recognize this passage from the book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 3:
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace,
and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
October is here, and look at the purposes it brings to First Presbyterian Church:
Harvest, cooler weather, a celebration of God’s faithfulness, ongoing missions to our local
community and in the Dominican Republic, repairs to our stained-glass windows, renewal of
the fellowship hall, and a rebuilding of old relationships as we move forward.
The writer of Ecclesiastes, attributed to Solomon, was cynical at times, but he added these
words, “He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their
heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.”
Let us join with Solomon to seek the beauty of each day, even as we seek to discern our
seasons and our purposes.