The New Season Has Come

#2018-0401

• It's the beginning of April -- April 1st.
• It's All Fools' Day, which is supposed to fall on April 1st every year.
• According to our church calendar, however, today happens to be Easter Day -- Sunday, April 1st, 2018.

Oh, at this very moment (around 5:30 pm), it's raining heavily outside. Raining cats and dogs! ... The rain came so suddenly that it not only surprised me a lot but also kept Jean and me from going out for a walk. Yes, we have to stay at home, or be confined to an indoor space, for a period of time, though I don't know how long it will be.

It's true that I don't know how long it will keep raining. I have no idea about that kind of thing at all. But it seems to me that God the Maker of heaven and earth is once again saying this:

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, 

   nor your ways my ways, says the Lord. 

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, 

   so are my ways higher than your ways, 

   and my thoughts than your thoughts. 

For as rain and snow fall from the heavens 

   and return not again, but water the earth, 

Bringing forth life and giving growth, 

   seed for sowing and bread for eating, 

So is my word that goes forth from my mouth; 

   it will not return to me empty; 

But it will accomplish that which I have purposed, 

   and prosper in that for which I sent it. 

These poetic lines are part of The Second Song of Isaiah (See The 1979 Book of Common Prayer, page 86). Glory to the Lord Almighty: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! ... 

Jean and I have just celebrated Easter Sunday at St. James'. We sang lots of song during the service this morning and had a wonderful time in the Coffee Hour right after the service. In the afternoon we returned home and got some rest. Then, when we thought of taking a walk somewhere, it started to rain. The heavy rain that kept us from going out for a walk reminded me of the poetic lines from The Second Song of Isaiah (see above); in the meantime it made me think of the beautiful sunset that might have been seen again on the hillside where Jean and I usually takes a walk. (The photos below were taken by Jean last month, on the 5th day of March.)

= = =

相關文章 (See also)： The Third Song of Isaiah (copied)