In and around waves of heat, we have had the stirrings of autumn lately…some trees are not quite as green, as hints of yellow and orange begin to spread, the sun rises later and the night falls earlier.  School buses are everywhere, there are long lines for haircuts and shoes, and empty local beaches.  On the plus side, the sunsets across the street from our church are spectacular.

I find myself feeling a bit melancholy, about a summer gone too soon, about endings as we say our goodbyes to David Perkins, and the uncertainties of change, as well as fears of a harsh winter.  I have never liked this time of year, as we shift from summer to autumn, and the earth begins her dying process.  When I was a child, it usually meant starting a new school, in a new place, and not knowing where, or if, I would fit in.

This autumn we will welcome a new rector, and we are starting a new program year with some new staff.  Our country will elect new leaders, a President and a Vice President, new senators and representatives.  The questions of who we are and who we will become loom large, with so much at stake, and strong, principled leadership is essential.