September is here, and it is as if the Earth is operating on our calendar exactly; the first wave of cooler air has moved in over Knoxville.  I love this type of weather.  It wakes us up, it signals the start of the new school year, and new beginnings all around.  

Seasonal changes can also signal upheaval.  My immediate thought when coming outside with the kids this morning was, "uh-oh, where DID I put the fall jackets last year?  Will their feet be cold in sandals today?"  The change of seasons jostles us out from our routine and reminds us that life moves on, and we must adapt.  

After a fantastic pot luck to welcome our family to Parkway this past Sunday, I was invited by one member to take a ride around the neighborhood on his motorcycle.  I was excited and frightened all at once!  Here I was, putting my life in the hands of someone else, who had complete control of the wheel.  What's more, if you've ever ridden a motorcycle as a passenger you know it's important to lean INTO the turns with the driver to help with the balance.  This goes counter to everything your body wants to do, which is to lean the other way to keep from falling.  
Bike riders also know that one feels very much more part of the world on a bike than in a car.  You notice the small things:  a farm house and barn on a hill, a small gas station on the corner, a group of goats behind a wooden fence.  You can also smell the world's smells, and feel the air whipping your face on the highway.  It is a complete sensory experience.  

As we move into the coolness of Fall, I hope that we as a church can travel like bikers.  I hope that we will be able to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the life we live together and to live fully in the moment.  I hope that we will remember to resist the insular ways of groups--always opening ourselves and ready to receive new people, just as they are, into our family.    Above all, we can rest in the knowledge that Christ is in control, and that we need only lean into the turns and curves ahead, confident that God knows the road.