Pastor Harry’s Thoughts for September

When we step outside this time of year, we see the signs of change everywhere. The days grow shorter, the air grows cooler, and the leaves begin their slow descent to the ground. Autumn is beautiful, but it is also a reminder: nothing stays the same. Everything has a season.

That truth runs through the book of Ruth. Ruth entered the fields at harvest time with empty hands, gathering the leftovers others left behind. But God had a plan that was far greater than what she could see. Those “leftovers” became the doorway to her redemption story.  Her faithfulness in a season of loss and change opened the door to a future she never imagined—a future that would eventually lead to the lineage of Christ Himself.

Church, here’s what that tells me: God does His greatest work in seasons of change. The harvest field may look like it’s being emptied, but in God’s hands, even the scraps can be the beginning of something new.

I believe with all my heart that we are living in such a season. Seasons of change can be uncomfortable. They ask us to let go of what has always been, much like the trees must let go of their leaves. If they refused, they would die. But by releasing what was, they make room for what will be.

The message of Christ never changes. The cross never loses its power. The gospel never needs updating. But the way we live it out, share it, and carry it forward into the next generation often does. If we cling too tightly to yesterday, we risk missing what God is trying to do today. Fall is not the end of life—it is the preparation for new life. What looks like death in one season is simply the soil of the next. But only if we are willing to release, to trust, and to follow where God leads.

Our church has a choice in this season. We can hold on to the past until it withers in our hands. Or we can, like Ruth, step into the field—even if it feels unfamiliar—and trust that God is writing a bigger story than what we can see right now. My prayer is that this fall, we would be willing to let go of what needs to fall, so that God can bring forth what needs to grow. Change may be difficult, but it is in the letting go that life is renewed.

“Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain…”

(Ruth 2:2)

What Ruth found in the fields was more than grain—it was a future. And I believe if we walk faithfully into this season of change, God has a future waiting for us too.

Scripture of the Month

“Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.”

(Ruth 2:2)

• Prayer Focus for September Pray that we would have the courage to release what God is calling us to let go of.
• Pray for new growth in our church—that God would raise up a new generation of faith.
• Pray for those walking through personal seasons of change, that they would find hope and strength in Christ.
• Pray that our community would see the life of Christ through us, even in times of transition.

Closing Thought Fall reminds us that change isn’t something to fear—it’s part of God’s design. The trees don’t mourn their leaves; they release them. And in that letting go, they prepare for the life that is to come. May we have the same courage to trust God in this season, believing that in His field, nothing is wasted.

Pastor Harry & Jennifer