I’ve been working for a while now to get in the habit of reading in the Psalms every day. My goal is to stay consistent – not to go fast – so I’ve usually been reading one psalm a day. It just so happened that I finished Psalm 150 on December 31st, so I started back at the beginning on January 1st with one of my favorites, Psalm 1. I love the imagery of the godly person as a fruitful tree.

It makes me think of the big maple tree in our backyard. It provides great shade during the Summer and its leaves turn a beautiful yellow in the Fall. And then, in great betrayal, it drops all its leaves on the ground leaving us with an unsightly bare tree and bags upon bags of leaves to rake. The nerve!

I kid. Kind of. Leafy trees like maples and oaks all over our region do the same thing year after year, entering a dormant state. During this dormant state a tree's rate of growth slows considerably. From our perspective these trees appear almost lifeless. But they're not dead - we just can't see the work that's still happening on the inside. We can't see how they're using their rationed energy to keep the essential systems going. By dropping their leaves and entering a dormant state they ensure their survival through the harshest months of the year. Leafless doesn’t mean lifeless. The dormant season preserves and prepares the tree for the fruitful season to come.

The psalmist writes of the godly person...

"He is like a tree

planted by streams of water

that yields its fruit in its season,

and its leaf does not wither.

In all that he does, he prospers." Psalm 1:3

In the life of the follower of Jesus, and the churches they belong to, there are seasons of very visible, external fruitfulness and seasons that more closely resemble the dormant state of our maple tree. The last nine months have felt more like one of those dormant states to me - personally and corporately. It's good and right to lament all that we've missed out on the last nine months. But it's also good and right to recognize that lean and dormant times are not at odds with God's design for our lives.

So, what does God want us to know in this season? He has not left us or forgotten us. He is still at work even in what we might perceive as lifeless and barren months. Remember, in the dormant season God preserves and prepares for the fruitful season to come.

So, what are we to do? Be present and prepare. Be present at home with your family, with the friends in your inner circle, with your neighbors. Make space for genuine connection with those God has already put close to you. Carve out time to connect with God. Watch for evidence of his goodness in the everyday – in ways big and small. Be present and prepare. Prepare for the coming fruitful season. Church, Spring is coming! This dormant season won't last forever. In the weeks ahead we'll be announcing more details about the coming season in the life and rhythms of Karis. We'll be inviting you to join us for specific times of prayer and fasting, petitioning God for renewed hearts and fruitful mission in our community.

Know God loves you. He is in control. And he is with us. I believe days of rejoicing and fruitfulness are ahead!

- Pastor Jeff