When I was little, I hated Fall. The only reason I really had to dislike it was because it signaled movement towards winter. Winter was cold and long, and I loved springtime when flowers came out and everything was green, and I could run outside and swim and do all sorts of other things. Fall meant the leaves were falling off and the trees were getting bare and everything would be brown and dull.
What's ironic, is that Fall is now my favorite season. I love the sights and smells and tastes of Fall - listening to vibrant red, orange, and yellow leaves rustle in the wind, sipping hot apple cider under a cozy blanket, savoring a fresh apple cider doughnut or piece of pumpkin pie, slipping into a comfy sweatshirt and pair of jeans after a long hot summer. It's not that I didn't enjoy these things as a kid, I did. But they weren't what I thought of when I thought of Fall. I let my dislikes about the time of year taint my overall view of this beautiful season.
We do things like this all the time. It's so easy to start focusing on things we dislike or that are challenging or frustrating and let that color everything else in our lives. We do this especially with God. When things are going well, we tend to either see God in a positive light or forget about God and figure that we're doing fine on our own. When things get hard, we tend to question God's motives, His existence, His love, and if and why we would want to have anything to do with Him at all - if He's even there.
Three main questions rise out of that sea of thoughts and feelings: 1) Does God exist? 2) If so, is God knowable? 3) Should that matter for me?
At Clearview, we believe that Yes, God exists, He is knowable, and that matters a lot for us and for other people.
Whether you agree with us or disagree with us, we invite you to come join us as we explore these realities together. Our church is one that loves God and loves other people. We want to reach out and share the love of God with others - meeting physical needs as well as spiritual ones. We want to figure out more who God is, what He really asks of us, how we can better follow Him, and how we reach out and make a difference in our community and our world.
So, enjoy the fall. Enjoy what the season has to offer. Don't merely see it as a precursor to a long, cold winter. Let the truth and beauty of it all speak for itself and make the best of it. And may you see God in a fresh way - not tainted by anger or fear or legalism, but as a loving Father who gave His Son for you and wants to have a relationship with you. May you experience His love for you and may you seek out walking with, learning from, and living with Him.
