A Time to Celebrate

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what 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 seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to tear, 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 for war, and a time for peace. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

Until about 5 years ago, Fall was my favourite season of the year.  The feeling of stepping out of the house one morning to be hit by crisp, cool air for the first time in months brought a sense of anticipation and excitement.  I attribute this to two different conditions:

1. I’ve lived most of my life in the Southeastern U.S. where even the slightest signs of cool Fall is a welcome respite from the unbearable summer heat and humidity.

2. I was a student until seven years ago when I finished grad school.  Like most students I dreaded getting back into the drudgery of homework and projects, but I loved the opportunity to be around my friends all day (yes, I’m an extrovert).

 I’ve noticed that over the past couple of years my love for Fall has been slowly eclipsed by a new appreciation for Spring.  Living in Vancouver, this only makes sense as Spring seems to be the first break from a long and rainy winter.  However, as I examine this, yet another example of my fickle preferences, I realize that it’s not necessarily the season of Fall or Spring that I’m in love with.  No, it’s actually the prospect of change; the beginning of something new.

Just this week as I saw the first signs of Fall – leaves on the ground, cooler mornings, earlier sunsets, people playing football in the park, back to school advertisements – I felt a tinge of that old excitement that used to be so familiar.  I can’t attribute this to a long, hot summer because that certainly does not describe the past few months in Vancouver.  This is more of an excited anticipation that something new is happening.  There’s something exciting coming, and it’s just over the horizon.

This weekend, The Vine is launching its first Missional Community.  Since February we’ve been dreaming about, talking about, and preparing for this moment, and it is upon us.  Our Seed Team met this past Sunday at our house, and there was a shared sense of anticipation and excitement about what we are all about to embark on.  One person on our Seed Team shared with me that during our prayer groups there was a very real sense of God’s Spirit among us.  We are not setting off on this journey alone, but we are being sent with the very gift of God’s guidance and presence!

So I welcome Fall and the anticipation of something new that God is doing among us and in our city!  This Sunday, September 2nd, we will celebrate and walk into the next stage of our journey as The Vine.  Come join us to celebrate as we BBQ and enjoy one of our last Summer Sundays in Vancouver – and our first gathering as a Missional Community!  Click here for the details.