It is a time of transitions, of change, of new beginnings. The wheel of life keeps turning; no one can stop it or even slow it down. A baby is born. A parent dies. A sibling has cancer. Someone has a breakdown. Kids get nervous about starting a new grade, meeting new kids and teachers. Teachers get anxious about what kind of class they will get this year. College freshman have evolved from high school seniors on top of the world to once more being on the lowest rung. College seniors canšt believe therešs only one more year until reality hits and they have to get a real job! Parents of all ages canšt believe how fast the children have grown up and even away. Senior citizens wonder what it means for THEM to graduate!

All of us experience life differently, depending on so many variables. Sometimes life with all its responsibilities is too much to bear, and like a computer, our systems crash. No one is to blame, and we just canšt ever know if we could have done something differently to prevent the crash, the frozen screen, the out of control life. Those in recovery are worried about staying sober, off drugs, even off cigarettes, and concerned as well that they may be marginalized, treated differently, perhaps like lepers of old.

Our church community cares deeply for one another, and we help each other in so many ways. Sometimes when we try to help, it is not enough. Doctors know that sometimes no matter what they do, the patient dies. Psychiatrists and others know about those illnesses of the mind are often more difficult to help that the physical ones(though one could argue,that there is not such a neat difference between the mind and body).

Love can heal and love can help. Pastoral care comes from all of us. Acceptance of one another and our myriad of individual limitations, weaknesses, maybe even illnesses. May our caring community be a place where we all will know that we are welcome, loved, and accepted, despite our weaknesses, mistakes, illnesses of the mind and/or body. That mystical prophet guru, Jesus was a radical healer who did not discriminate between the "clean and the unclean." He preached and lived a life of love that healed hearts, minds, and bodies. May we dare to love as well and may we all be healers of each other. Let us not be afraid to ask for help when we need it and to give help when we are able. Sometimes we must also realize that we need professional help as well.

Shalom, Art