This congregation has persevered through the realities of rural communities across our NT-NL Synod, ELCA territory and our nation. These are communities that know the seasons and understand the words of the teacher we heard today “to everything there is a season” echoed by Christ’s words from our Gospel to “learn the lesson of the fig tree.” Everything has a season and a time.

So we gathered to celebrate, grieve, and give thanks. I shared with the community the photos above at the top. Five weeks ago I was in Midland, TX for Reformation Sunday. On the way back I stopped at the AllSups in Roscoe for gas and took the picture on the left. It was a chilly and wet day but the cotton was up and getting ready for harvest. Today, I took the picture on the right. The cotton has been stripped and is off to the gin. For everything a season.

We give thanks for the faithful witness of the community of First Salem. We grieve the ending of Word and Sacrament ministry there. We trust the leaders will be wise stewards of the assets of the community and we remember always the church in the baptized people of God, it is never a building. #NTNL #InMissionTogether