MONDAY MORNING REFLECTIONS - FALL, FALL CLASSIC, FALLING CONFIDENCE

Fall has officially arrived and to go on record, it is my favorite season of the year. Its arrival brings crisp mornings, cool nights,a more predictable rhythm to life as people get back to work,  Soon it will bring the brilliant colors of the changing foliage. Living in Pennsylvania, there is a whole lot of foliage to form this canvas of nature and the scenery at times is quite  breath-taking.  Fall also bring my second favorite sport,, college football. Although my beloved Buckeyes are in for a long season, there is little substitute for the excitement, strategy and pageantry of college football, plus it’s darn good football.  My associate pastor Barry Sellers says that “fall brings punkins’.”  I am not sure why that enamors him so, but he’s right.  For a pastor, the fall also brings a renewed excitement for the church. People stop vacationing and slow down their gardening and get back to doing the ministry that helps change lives of people and strengthen the community that is our mission field.  Some people are quick to say, “But remember what follows …” Frankly, I never let the thought of winter destroy the blessings of Fall.  Reminds me of a text from Matthew 6:34:  “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”  The corollary to that is, don’t let perceived trouble of winter rob you of the experienced blessing of fall.

Of course, the arrival of fall means the Fall Classic, i.e. the MLB World Series. Friday of this week begins the divisional playoffs.  As of now I believe I am 4-for-4 on my predictions of the division winners: AL EAST-Yankees AL

A smiling Justin Verlander of the Tigers - sure-fire Cy Young man but maybe even MVPn

CENTRAL-Tigers (won 25 of their last 32 games) AL WEST-Rangers NL EAST-Phillies, NL CENTRAL-Brewers NL WEST- Diamondbacks.  The race is still tight for the wild card and the Red Sox and Braves I though would claim it are in danger of not making the playoffs.
My prediction is Tigers versus Phillies (if the Phillies can stop their skid).
There is a different kind of fall to speak of on these date. It is the fall-ing confidence that Americans have in its Congressional leaders to resolve the problem of the budget and to provide a healthy means of creating and sustaining jobs for the millions of honest, hard-working Americans who want to work. Congress! Mr. President! Democrats! Republicans! Tea Partiers! Get together and work for the common good instead of your short-sighted ideologies.