Now that we are experiencing the fall equinox this week, I thought a reflection on this phenomenon to be most appropriate for us here at St. Nick. As we know, the autumnal equinox marks the beginning of fall and the end of summer. The word equinox comes from the Latin words for "equal night." The fall and spring equinoxes are the only days of the year in which the hours of day and night are equal as the Sun crosses the celestial equator. To me, these days represent a turning point in nature.

When you think about it, our lives are also filled with turning points. We end one "season" and begin another. We pass over a threshold, as it were, to a new phase in our lives, whether it be the beginning of high school or college, a graduation, the start of a new job, the loss of a job, marriage, the birth of a child, a divorce, or an injury or illness that suddenly changes the way we live. It's a phenomenon I've encountered many times. Ends and beginnings happen over and over again in our lives. Ecclesiastes was right on, when the Teacher said "for everything there is a season." (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

I recall such an event in the workplace when my employer "asked" me to take on a new project. I found this difficult - ending a working relationship with colleagues previously under my supervision. Just before the change took place, they got together and presented me with a card signed by all of them and a matching framed picture (shown above) with the caption, "In life what sometimes appears to be the end is really a new beginning."

At the time I didn't really get it. All I could see was the end of a wonderful era and the beginning of a future filled with apprehension and uncertainty. As time went on things began to take shape in my new job, and most of the apprehension and uncertainty dissipated. What I came to realize was that the waterfall in the picture marked not only the end of the stream but the beginning of a lake.

Here at St. Nick our transitional state has been at a necessarily prolonged turning point for the past several months, and may continue to be for some months to come. Of course, we hope that the remaining time will be shorter rather than longer. I sense an eagerness to step completely over that threshold we are in the middle of and get on with the work of being the church in perhaps new and challenging ways. So many in our community have been working hard to make this happen. For sure, it's pretty clear that we can't climb back up the waterfall!

The vision of John in the Book of Revelation provides us great strength and courage to move ahead, because whether we are at a beginning or an end we always find God: "See, I am making all things new . . . I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end." (Revelation 21:5-6)

-Paul+

September 25, 2011 - The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost  

The Episcopal Church uses the Revised Common Lectionary.  When a choice is given for the Old Testament lesson and Psalm, at St. Nicholas we use the first option, or Track 1.  More about the Revised Common Lectionary is at this link.  

News from Nick is published by St. Nicholas Episcopal Church, Elk Grove Village, Illinois each Thursday.

Please submit copy to Douglas by clicking here.  Deadline is Wednesday at noon.