When the Air Turns Different
I love October. The first cool breeze that actually sticks around. The smell of cinnamon sneaking into grocery aisles. Pumpkin-spice “everything” reappearing like an old friend.
This October feels different at our house. Our kids are all teens and pre-teen—no big plans to dress up, but yes, they still want the candy. Honestly? Same. I feel that transition as a parent: the costumes are fading, but the sweetness is still there—just showing up in new ways.
On Tuesday I drove to Lubbock to watch Justice run at the regional cross-country meet. Standing at the fence as a dad, I felt that familiar knot of nerves and pride. Watching him reminded me that growth is rarely flashy; it’s a quiet resistance to the easy path, one step after another.
That’s been stirring in me as we launch a new sermon series this Sunday called Counterculture. Paul writes in Romans 12:1–2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed…” The pressure to conform is real—online and in person. Be busier. Be louder. Be right. Keep score. But Jesus keeps inviting us to a different cadence: mercy over outrage, presence over performance, grace over winning. To borrow cross-country language, it’s running our race—the one marked out by love.
And then, Sunday evening, we get to practice that love together at Fall Fest/Trunk-or-Treat. No debates. No algorithms. Just neighbors, kiddos in costumes (and non-costumes), candy and trunks, laughter under the setting sun, and a church that shows up with open arms. It’s one of my favorite snapshots of what church can be: we make joy visible. We tell our neighborhood, “You belong here. You are loved.”
Maybe that’s why October has my heart. The world is shifting—seasons, schedules, even our kids—but God keeps meeting us in the change. Leaves don’t fight the wind; they lean into it. What if we did the same? What if this week we leaned into God’s transforming wind? One choice, one conversation, or one act of kindness at a time?
I can’t wait to see you:
Sunday morning as we kick off Counterculture—let’s begin the race with worship, Scripture, and a fresh breath of grace. We also have two baptisms as part of our worship.
Sunday evening for Fall Fest/Trunk-or-Treat—bring a friend, a bag of candy, and your best smile. With Open trunks, let’s fill our parking lot with welcome.
With gratitude for the changing seasons and the unchanging love of God,
With Gratitude,
Rev. Rodney Whitfield
Senior Pastor
Aldersgate UMC