Ready or not, the months flow by—
summer to fall to winter to spring to summer,
again and again, the cycles of the natural world repeating,
the cycles of months and years coming round over and over.
While there is comfort in the ebbs and flows of nature,
there is also discomfort in noticing the passing of time,
sometimes experiencing time’s forward movement
as a loss rather than a gift, as something we’re running out of
rather than something that makes possible our very existence,
something that is shared by every one of us,
something that is sacred and, by its very nature, must pass.
Time, when properly considered, is not something to fear
but something to fully experience, with all of its blessings and challenges,
all of its sharp and smooth edges, all its ups and downs.
Let us pause to experience together the passing of time
In this sacred space during this time of quiet reflection.
May we find comfort in one another’s caring presence,
may we find comfort in the spaciousness of each moment,
and may we face the discomforts of life with courage,
with resolve, and with love. May it be so. Amen!
