October 2023

Dear Friends of First,

Welcome to the season of Fall! Fall is the season for all the senses. The feel of cooler temperatures, the beauty of reds, oranges, and browns in the trees. The taste of pumpkin spice in everything. The sound of crunching leaves underfoot. The smell of woodsmoke. The many elements of fall can intrinsically move us to happiness or trigger memories of a painful past. Fall is a season of transition, a gentle reminder of the value of change, in this case from bright, buzzing, verdant summer toward the dark, quiet calm of winter. It’s a journey inward; a time of reflection as you try to hold on to the familiar, with the uncertainty of the future.

Recently, a friend recommended a good book to read this fall called, “Hang On, Let Go” by Frank Viola. The author takes a look at the storms of life, whatever they may be, that shake us to the core. In the midst of these storms, the author encourages us to do just what his title says: hang on and let go. Perhaps the title seems a little ridiculous. “Hang on” and “let go” are indeed opposites, so to do both sounds like a strange. But what the author intends is that we learn to hang on to one thing, while letting go of another. The first chapter opens with... “In the face of the whirlwind, you hang on tightly to God. At the same time, you let go of the outcome.” A good example of this can be found in the story of Abraham and Isaac. You may recall the story in which Abraham is tested by God and instructed to sacrifice Isaac, but at the last moment, God sends an angel to stay Abraham’s hand and provides a ram for sacrifice. Surely, we can imagine Abraham’s torment at being asked to sacrifice his son, who was a fulfillment of the promise of God, a promise he had waited so long to receive. But Abraham obeyed God. He “let go” of his most precious gift, his son. He “let go” of whatever the outcome of this test might be. He surrendered to the will of God. But in doing so, Abraham also shows us that he was “hanging on” and clinging to his God and hanging on to God’s promises. Even in this terrible test of his faith, Abraham hung on and let go. He hung on to God, expecting that God would be good and gracious, while letting go of all else.

I am reminded through Scripture that sometimes God stills the storms, while at other times God does not. I hang on and let go in both types of situations, for even if the storm continues and I become lost at sea, God will still be with me to bring me through it. So, as we transition into another season, and soon a new year, with all of its uncertainty, we can hang on by trusting in God’s faithfulness to catch us and bear us up again as if on eagles’ wings. So, hang on, let go.

In His Grip,
Pastor Jim