by Lisa Allgood, Executive Presbyter

“He who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns midnight into dawn and darkens day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land— the LORD is His name.”                                                                                                                                                                                 – Amos 5:8          

I have always been a ridiculously early riser, ever since I was a little girl.  Those of you who text me in the early hours do so because you know I’m already up.  It’s 5am or earlier, almost every day.  And at this time of year my early morning walks with the dog are in the dark. 

That also means this time of year, starting in September, the stars that greet me as we set out are Orion (and the Pleiades).  Over time, Orion has become a welcome harbinger of change for me – a change of season for sure, but also a new school year, and as Meredith entered her school years the coming of a new season for her (and a measure of her growing up).  Even though she is now a practicing psychologist in another state, it still feels that way – although there may be a slightly more melancholy tinge to that change, now.  A different mark of time passing.

Some days, still, I want to go buy a new set of sharpened pencils, to mark the change.

The other morning as the dog and I ventured out and Orion shone down on us, what I felt was the surprising, comforting certainty of the faithful steadfastness of my Lord.  No matter what season I find myself in, no matter what the challenges or tasks or uncertainties are ahead of me on that day – the Lord is in His Holy Temple, and all the earth is silent before Him (Habakkuk 2:20; especially at 5 am).  He is always there (1 Chronicles 16:34; Psalm 16:8) and He loves us always (Job 10:12).  The moon and the stars that He set in place are steady (Psalm 8:3). Orion was there – steadfast, solid, clear.

Thank you, my Lord. For Your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in Your faithfulness. (Psalm 26:3).

“But I call this to mind, and therefore I have hope. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness”. (Lamentations 3:21-23)

It was a beautiful morning.