sacred seasons

Renée Antrosio – September 22, 2026 1 Comment

What is the appropriate greeting for today? I found myself texting, “Happy equinox!” this morning as a kind of aspirational blessing, wanting it to be true. Here in central Illinois, the weather has suddenly shifted to cooler temperatures to cue up fall’s arrival tonight. For the next few months, we will experience less and less daily light. Our bodies notice before our minds do, when we don’t attune ourselves to the shift. If you put away your therapy light for the summer, now is the time to resume your morning daylight supplement. 

God said, “Let there be light.” And so light appeared. God saw how good the light was. God separated the light from the darkness. Genesis 1:3-4 (CEB)

From the very beginning, light was needed for life to thrive. God began to introduce order to the chaos, the very first thing that the Bible notes as good, long before humans were created. And we too need sunlight. I began to realize how important light is to our health when I was diagnosed with MS in 2010. Climate and low vitamin D are significant risk factors for Multiple Sclerosis, which is much more prevalent in northern latitudes. Sunshine, heat, and cold influence the symptoms we experience. 

Do Christians pay attention to the seasons? Or was that labeled a “pagan” practice? I check some of my daily devotional resources and see no mention of the equinox. Because Jesus is “the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8), do we think that every day is the same for us? Have we abandoned ancient (and Biblical) wisdom that attunes us to seasonal rhythms, cutting ourselves off from practices that align ourselves with our place in creation?

God said, “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night. They will mark events, sacred seasons, days, and years…. God saw how good it was. Genesis 1:14, 18b (CEB)

What do the seasons teach us- about God, about creation, about humanity, about ourselves? What would it look like to be more in tune with the cycles of the earth and of our bodies? How might we celebrate these changes? How can we support each other as the light steadily fades, bringing us to Advent in the darkest time of year? 

God said, “Let the waters swarm with living things, and let birds fly above the earth up in the dome of the sky.” God created the great sea animals and all the tiny living things that swarm in the waters, each according to its kind, and all the winged birds, each according to its kind. God saw how good it was. Genesis 1:20-21 (CEB)

Peak bird migration is upon us: an estimated 19,850,500 birds crossed through Illinois last night and 34,025,300 are in flight headed southwest. Our bird-watcher friends are counting their blessings. My “spark bird” that converted me to lake walks with my grandfather’s binoculars is the great blue heron; discovering black-crowned night herons and little green herons is an added bonus. Perhaps I was primed to love these birds from birth; I lived the first five years of my life in Heron, Montana- a connection that I just recently realized. Worship songs about being protected in the shadow of God’s wings have taken on new meaning; bird imagery is also Biblical. 

And so, as the seasons change and the birds take flight, how can we embrace the sacred rhythm of God’s creation? How do we prepare for the winter and increasing darkness? Look to the animals, look to the skies. 

God looked at all of this creation, and proclaimed that this was good—very good. Genesis 1:31a (Inclusive Bible)

May we too look at all of this creation- including humanity made in God’s image- and notice how supremely good it is. May we experience gratitude and express thankfulness. May we be attuned to the light, and hold a candle for each other in the dark. And may we pronounce a blessing. Happy fall equinox, family of God. 
-Renée