Through Stained Glass: A Mid-Week Reflection-Suns and Skies

“O suns and skies and clouds of June, 
And flowers of June together, 
Ye cannot rival for one hour 
October's bright blue weather;…”

These words are the opening lines to Helen Hunt Jackson’s poem October’s Bright Blue Weather. As I sit reading this poem and looking outside, I notice the bright blue sky and the white clouds gracefully floating by. I also hear the leaves that are now golden and orange rustling in the wind. Slowly the tree is beginning to lose its splendor.

This is one of my favorite times of the year. Though I’m not a fan of it getting dark at 6:30pm, the changing season invites our senses to come alive once more before the cold of winter returns. With that said, here is a top ten list for the month of October.

The Presbyterian Pastor’s Top 10 Favorite Things About Fall

1. Bonfires, S’mores, Hot Cider, and Weiner Roasts (Our annual wiener roast is almost here, by the way! It will be at the Boss’ on Sunday, October 25^th!)
2. Baseball Playoffs. I’ll leave it at that…
3. While I love donning my bowties and suits, I also love a good pair of blue jeans and my favorite hooded sweatshirt!
4. We haven’t been in the season of fall that long and I’ve already had some of the best chili and vegetable, meatball soup ever! Thus, I love the return of soup weather!
5. Harvest Time. Seeing the farmers in their fields gathering the fruit of the earth. One night while driving home from a session meeting at a nearby church I noticed the moon had a bit of a hazy-glow to it—I prefer the haze of the country than I do that of the city.
6. Reformation Sunday. Who doesn’t like to celebrate the Reformed tradition while wearing a…kilt?! (By the way, you are encouraged to wear your kilts and plaid on Sunday, October 25^th to worship!)
7. Geese. There is nothing that makes me run to the window quicker than the sound of a flock of geese passing overhead. Their migration reminds me that change is happening and that…warm weather is eventually on the way!
8. Golden dogs amidst golden leaves. Getting out on those early crisp, fall mornings for a walk is a great way to begin a new day. Fall isn’t Chloe’s favorite season, though. The crunching leaves cause a bit more anxiety on our walks!
9. The leaves. Their colors, their smell, and the grace they display as they fall to the ground. Recently I heard someone comment on one of the smells of fall they enjoy the most is the smell of burning leaves. As a boy I remember raking leaves into large piles and then jumping on them. The staleness of the dying vegetation, along with the dampness of the earth, is a smell I shall not ever forget.
10. Change. It is inevitable. Time marches on and the seasons help remind us of this. Along with this reality, nature reminds us of how God isn’t done yet either. As the prophet Isaiah notes, “I am about to do a new thing…do you not perceive it?”

Friends, our part of the globe is now ablaze with the colors of fall. What are some of your favorite things about fall? What are some of your memories about this time of the year?

What is God about to do you in your life?

May you find peace and joy, a sense of newness amidst October’s bright, blue weather!