“O suns and skies and clouds of June,
And flowers of June together,
Ye cannot rival for one hour
October's bright blue weather;…”
These words are the opening lines to Helen Hunt
Jackson’s poem October’s Bright Blue Weather. As I
sit reading this poem and looking outside, I notice
the bright blue sky and the white clouds gracefully
floating by. I also hear the leaves that are now
golden and orange rustling in the wind. Slowly the
tree is beginning to lose its splendor.
This is one of my favorite times of the year. Though
I’m not a fan of it getting dark at 6:30pm, the
changing season invites our senses to come alive
once more before the cold of winter returns. With
that said, here is a top ten list for the month of
October.
The Presbyterian Pastor’s Top 10 Favorite
Things About Fall
1. Bonfires, S’mores, Hot Cider, and
Weiner Roasts (Our annual wiener roast is almost
here, by the way! It will be at the Boss’ on Sunday,
October 25th!)
2. Baseball Playoffs. I’ll leave it at
that…
3. While I love donning my bowties and suits,
I also love a good pair of blue jeans and my
favorite hooded sweatshirt!
4. We haven’t been in the season of fall that
long and I’ve already had some of the best chili and
vegetable, meatball soup ever! Thus, I love the
return of soup weather!
5. Harvest Time. Seeing the farmers in
their fields gathering the fruit of the earth. One
night while driving home from a session meeting at a
nearby church I noticed the moon had a bit of a
hazy-glow to it—I prefer the haze of the country
than I do that of the city.
6. Reformation Sunday. Who doesn’t
like to celebrate the Reformed tradition while
wearing a…kilt?! (By the way, you are encouraged to
wear your kilts and plaid on Sunday, October 25th to
worship!)
7. Geese. There is nothing that makes
me run to the window quicker than the sound of a
flock of geese passing overhead. Their migration
reminds me that change is happening and that…warm
weather is eventually on the way!
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8. Golden dogs amidst golden leaves.
Getting out on those early crisp, fall mornings for
a walk is a great way to begin a new day. Fall isn’t
Chloe’s favorite season, though. The crunching
leaves cause a bit more anxiety on our walks!
9. The leaves. Their colors, their
smell, and the grace they display as they fall to
the ground. Recently I heard someone comment on one
of the smells of fall they enjoy the most is the
smell of burning leaves. As a boy I remember raking
leaves into large piles and then jumping on them.
The staleness of the dying vegetation, along with
the dampness of the earth, is a smell I shall not
ever forget.
10. Change. It is inevitable. Time
marches on and the seasons help remind us of this.
Along with this reality, nature reminds us of how
God isn’t done yet either. As the prophet Isaiah
notes, “I am about to do a new thing…do you not
perceive it?”
Friends, our part of the globe is now ablaze with
the colors of fall. What are some of your favorite
things about fall? What are some of your memories
about this time of the year?
What is God about to do you in your life?
May you find peace and joy, a sense of newness
amidst October’s bright, blue weather!
[Adam Quine, pastor First Presbyterian Church in
Lincoln]
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