As Autumn comes to a close, the theme of of “Gathering in” fades from our thoughts- replaced with Winter and Christmas themes. But, let’s pause today to think about this idea of “Gathering in”. It’s important. It’s about life. It’s about church.
I live in a rural area, just outside of Salem, and I pastor a church in Salem, Oregon, state capital and busy city. When I drive into Salem, during these past few months, I have occasionally been sidelined or at least slowed down by farm machinery on the roads. It was harvest time, you see, and everything was being gathered – hops, berries, apples, hay, grass seed and more. I kind of like being slowed down by these machines (though I don’t admit it then) because I enjoy being a witness to the Ingathering of the Plenty all around us. Why don’t we talk about that visual of plenty more? Continue reading “Gathering in”