the eternal seasons

Originally published in the South Jetty Newspaper

Last year was uniquely full of weddings and funerals among my community. Each one is a blessed event, even the funerals, when we mourn the loss and begin to commend our loved ones to God's eternal care. In my tradition, we color-code the seasons of the year, famously noted by comedian Robin Williams among his "Top Ten Reasons for being an Episcopalian." Of course, other faith traditions also abide by a set of liturgical seasons, and with them we journey through the life of Jesus over the year, changing the color of the art of the church, and the flavor of the music we sing. In a simplified fly by, we have seasons to prepare for, dwell in, and to integrate both Christmas and Easter. The seasons are a way for us to practice the spiritual faith experience of birth and rebirth that we journey through. My favorite seasons are the seasons in which we prepare for Christmas and Easter. They teach me patience, preparation, and give me ample opportunity to examine who I am as I await the feasts. And we  still adhere to 12 days of Christmas and 50 days of Easter.

Aligning beautifully with the seasons of nature, they guide us through and out of the darker seasons of the year, giving structure and leading us always back to the light of life. The color for Christmas and Easter is white. Usually within the white fabric art is the presence of gold, pointing to God's glorious radiance. Again, these seasons are for the church, and they have taught me across my lifetime, that life is cyclical, seasons come and go, and God is present in different ways throughout all of them.  When I encounter in my own life the experience of Good Friday, in the death of a friend, for example, the seasons teach me that we will arrive, eventually at Easter. The community practice of following seasons helps me when those experiences interrupt my day to day life.

Which brings me back to all these weddings and funerals. For weddings and funerals, we always return to white. No matter the season, we return to the Christmas/Easter celebration. We do the same things for baptisms. While this may drive the altar guild a little crazy with changes back and forth, the importance of it is a reminder that while these changes and chances of life sometimes feel disorienting, on the most important occasions, in life and death, we are Easter People who have encountered God, Incarnate in Jesus Christ, who was, and is, and is to come.

When we baptize, bury, and marry, we witness the reality of God's eternal kingdom. We use the brightest and best vestments, and (many times through tears of mixed emotions) we see that God's grace is revealed no matter what else may be happening around us.

Thanks be to God for the seasons, and thanks be to God for these festivals that break our routines. Thanks be to God for showing up in surprising ways inside and outside of the church. While we practice the colorful church seasons through art and music, the real development is taking place on our inner journey, where these seasons dwell eternally, ready to guide us through the hard times, the dark times, and the times of wandering; always leading us back to the glorious light of God.