See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone.
Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land.
Song of Solomon 2:11-12
Each season can be beautiful in its own way, but late spring is such a joyful time. New life sprouts from the earth, birds sing around us, trees are in blossom, and farmers begin again the cycle of planting in anticipation of a good harvest. Life is resurrected from the cold and darkness once again, and we too gather the courage to begin anew.
Many spring times that have come and gone since our congregation was established, we are well-seasoned. But there is always something fresh that can come forth in a woods of old growth. The fallen leaves of our experiences take what is past and brings forth something new, like the early trillium in the woods. God’s Spirit, the life-force that breathes into all of creation, surprises us with colour and beauty, with amazing variety.
In Song of Songs, you can feel the lovers’ delight in each other and the world around them. This poem can be read as an allegory of God’s love for us, beginning in the garden of Eden, through the pain of the garden of Gethsemane, to the great promise of Paradise, and even the city with trees lining the great river, fruits that are given for the healing of the nations.
God’s creation is a book that rewards careful observation. I am grateful for the windows in our sanctuary that let in sun and air and a view to the blue sky. Nature is a cathedral that soars above and around us, that motivates and echoes our praise.
Eternity lasts forever, we are here for a short time. Spring and summer fly by so quickly that it’s right to drop regular schedules and just revel in them, to be replenished. If we restrict God to our intellectual understanding, we miss out on the knowledge experienced through the five senses God gave us. When we receive these gifts with gratitude and awe, we are fully alive. Every living thing in love and harmony in God’s Presence. An everlasting season of Joy.
“You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. . .” Isaiah 55:12