We have seasons in our weather patterns. Today is our first day of summer, and it's 26 degrees celsius and raining cats and dogs. Not what I expect for summer, but it does give our vegetable garden much-appreciated water! Our tomatos, strawberries and corn will be especially happy. One might say that this is un-seasonal rain!
We live an hour from the best beaches, and I love to hit the surf as the cold southerly oceans warm up a degree or two, and living an hour from healthy Sambar deer hunting mountains, I also love to hunt just below the snow-line in the winter. The Sambar themselves prefer to descend below the snow-line for comfort when they can too. They read and adapt to the best of the season's conditions. I too make every effort to embrace the seasons.
There are also seasons in our lives, and these vary from individual to individual, and family to family. They also vary within communities.
I've been puzzling over why sometimes Christians apparently fluctuate in their commitment to the local community of believers and I stumbled across this video of Todd Morr from Soma which examines this phenomena and seeks to explain Seasons in a Missional Community. In fact, Todd goes some way to describing his team's method of managing these seasons. Todd's discussion lacks the backing of scripture, so I've added some narrative:
In the context of Leviticus 26:4, seasons are a good thing provided by God for our wellbeing and security, and His Glory. This passage (Lev. 26:1-6) is a cause and effect passage.
Job 5:17-27 shows a different angle of seasons: through times of trial, pain, relief, famine, war and peace, God uses seasons for good.
Psalm 1:3 is one of my favourite word pictures in all of scripture:
He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,This passage likens a faithful man to a tree firmly planted by streams of water: he will be fruitful in season (that is, the right season!) First the tree has to be planted, watered, grown to maturity and then in the proper season will be fruitful.
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.
2 Timothy 4:2 presents an interesting question:
preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instructionWhat does "out of season" mean? I believe it refers to all stages (or seasons) of our lives; times when it's tough like Job speaks of in Job 5, and times when it's great; times when we feel close to Jesus and times when we struggle. The season relates to us, not others. So even whilst we may draw back for various reasons, God exhorts us to remain faithful throughout all these seasons.
This video clip helps us to rationalise some questions that we often have as leaders, and how to embrace those we have been called to shepherd, throughout the seasons.
If you are involved in a missional community, leadership of a local church, or even discipling others then this might be a concept worth exploring a little further.
Stream Todd's video here: Managing the Seasons of a Missional Community
Photo: http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/~/media/AC3FC80C986D44CCA4A86BE1DD3FB22A.ashx