This week marked the Summer Solstice on Tuesday, June 21.  I always remember the solstice because June 21 is my parents’ wedding anniversary (47 years this year) AND my sister and brother-in-law’s wedding anniversary (7 years this year).  So it would be pretty sad if I forgot!  The summer solstice (which can actually be June 20 or 21 depending on the year) is considered the longest day of the year.  Encyclopedia Britannica helpfully explains, “At the summer solstice, the Sun travels the longest path through the sky, and that day therefore has the most daylight. When the summer solstice happens in the Northern Hemisphere, the North Pole is tilted about 23.4° (23°27´) toward the Sun.”* 

It’s interesting that some cultures/religions have celebrated the summer and winter solstices.  The summer solstice makes me happy.  Maybe it’s because it’s a significant day for my family.  Though it also means that there is simply more light in our world and that summer is here! 

Perhaps I’m preaching to the choir, but living in a place with four fairly distinct seasons can be a remarkable experience. 
Each season has lessons to teach us.  Each season is a gift from God. 
There’s a lovely line from the hymn, “In the Bulb There Is a Flower”

In the bulb there is a flower; in the seed, an apple tree;
in cocoons, a hidden promise: butterflies will soon be free!
In the cold and snow of winter there’s a spring that waits to be,
unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see. 

What may God be revealing to you in this season?

Wishing everyone a wonderful start to summer,
Pastor Lauren

*Summer Solstice, https://www.britannica.com/science/summer-solstice-astronomy

Photo by Dakota Roos on Unsplash