Our September book: “Spiritual Rhythm” by Mark Buchanan
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” -Ecclesiastes 3:1
We’ve all likely been on this planet long enough to have experienced many season changes—the wonder and hopefulness of budding spring, the full bloom and heat of lush summer, the vivid color changes and purging of autumn, the stillness and chill of barren winter. I’m sure we’ve all experienced a feeling that particular seasons are too long, and we wait eagerly (and impatiently, perhaps) for a change in weather and a break from the monotony of a season that’s worn out its welcome.
The odds are good that you’ve also drawn parallels between the season changes and the seasons of our lives. We all remember at least parts of our childhoods—making friends, looking around at the world with wonderment, and having our first experiences, both good and bad. Maybe you remember what it was like to be a teenager, to fall in love for the first time, to experience the possibility and trepidation of planning for a future career. Your life may have included marriage and children, or maybe an extended period of singleness. Maybe your career changed over the years, and possibly you’ve experienced some relocations. Perhaps you recall a season of loss and grief, and you marveled at how deeply you could hurt. And I hope you remember at least one season of feeling such immeasurable love that you thought you could burst from joy and fulfillment.
“This, too, shall pass” is a truism of life. Are you experiencing the deepest pain of your life? “This, too, shall pass.” Are you enjoying a time of relative ease and comfort? “This, too, shall pass.” Dealing with the passing seasons can be both challenging and welcoming, and we often wonder what God is up to in all the constance of change. And the question we all have to answer for ourselves is: “Is Jesus the Man—the God—for all seasons?”
As believers, we’ve all effectively answered this question for ourselves, but it’s also possible that in really tough seasons, we wonder where Jesus is, and might experience some doubt. For my part, as I’ve walked with Jesus for over 20 years, I’ve experienced doubt over the years, but with the passage of time I’ve seen His faithfulness and I trust Him more, even through some incredibly difficult times. I hope you’ve also seen His track record of trustworthiness more and more as you walk with Him.
Our author, Mark Buchanan, seems to have had a similar experience of feeling doubt and struggle as the seasons of life have shifted from one to the next, but he ultimately found that, yes, Jesus is the Man for all seasons and can be trusted as much with our most profound sorrows as with our deepest joys.
Think over our discussion questions as you read this book and be prepared to chat about them in our live group session on September 27th. We’re excited to delve into this with you!
Discussion Questions:
1. When you’re in a winter season and life is rough, who in your life do you turn to to help you through it, and why do you pick them? What qualities do they have that make them trustworthy to you for that purpose?
2. How can you be helpful to others going through a tough winter season?
3. What helps you in the midst of a long season of waiting? How can you make the most of a long wait?
4. Is it helpful to you to feel like your suffering and waiting is sharing in Christ’s sufferings?
5. Where have you seen Jesus in the midst of life’s sufferings? Where have you seen Him in joyous times?
6. On page 77, it says, “Isaiah gives us three vivid touchstones—emotional renewal, physical renewal, and moral renewal.” Describe some periods in your life in which you’ve experienced these types of renewal, and what God brought out of it.
7. “What Satan meant for evil, God used for good.” How has God turned things around for you over the course of your life?
8.In the autumn, we remember that there isn’t a single flower in all of creation that blooms all year, and neither can we. Is it difficult for you to accept a season in which you’re less productive than you’d like? How can you cultivate rest in your life?
