The idea of following a calendar year and its seasons is very familiar to all of us. Some of us also tune into a slightly different calendar which we call the fiscal year. For state and some school districts the fiscal year, or the pattern of spending, goes from July to June, rather than the calendar months. For the federal government the pattern is October to September. But, for a much smaller group us, probably only those of us intimately involved with Christian church services, we also track the Liturgical Calendar.
This calendar, with its common lectionary, guides everything from the sermons to the hymns, to the colors that are used on the various cloths around the Sanctuary. In accordance with this calendar this past Sunday was the Transfiguration of the Lord. During this feast day of the Transfiguration, our church choir sang an anthem written by Hubert Perry which included the lines: “Pray for peace, they shall prosper, peace be within thy walls, and plenteousness within thy palaces.”
Peace and plenteousness. I’ve been thinking about these two words, a lot, lately. Both are timely, prosperity producing notions in times such as these. Closer to home, there’s nothing wrong with Greater Susquehanna Valley that can’t be made better by the people of this valley. We may not be able to personally change the situation in eastern Europe. But we certainly can re-connect with and express our love for our Eastern European, particularly Ukrainian, neighbors living right next door.
We may not be able to fix the entire supply change which continues to moan for the impact of COVID-related shutdowns and labor shortages. But we can Shop Local and support our neighbors who have served as the frontline these past 24 months in getting us the supplies we need.
‘Scarcity and Abundance,’ was one of the challenges that your Chamber’s Strategic Plan, ‘Connect and Move Forward…Together,’ had as its focus. We can and we will return to a time of abundance, and of reasonable price increases, but it will take us all re-connecting with one another.
Our best days lie just ahead.
Bob's Just a Word: Peace and Plenteousness
