Churches, Denominations and Religions: Pastor's Life

Wednesday, November 9, 2022

Pastor's Life - Time Change

Time Change

by Rev. Phil Beck

The first weekend in November, we return to standard time having been in daylight savings time since March. Like many, I grumble and complain about the change. There really isn’t an hour more of sleep. It will be dark earlier and many of us will be off to work when it is dark and return home in the dark. It is the nature of the days in this season.

The writer of Ecclesiastes remarks on these seasons and the change when they write, "For everything there is a season, a time for every matter under heaven."

There is a saying my kids and younger friends have said to me, "times have changed." There is of course truth to "times have changed." Those of us who are older remember our math teachers saying, "You need to learn how to do your percentages. You aren’t going to have a calculator with you."

Well today, we do have a calculator, and a phone, and a camera and email, and social media and more all on one device. Restaurants have made it easier, I don’t even have to do the math with my phone. There is a convenient 20% box I can check off or it gives me the amount that I can add to the bill.

Rev. Philip Beck is the pastor at First United Presbyterian Church of Tarentum, north of Pittsburgh, having served there since May of 2001. Phil and his wife Christa have three children and an exchange daughter. All of the children are out of the household, so he and his wife are enjoying the "empty nest" for the first time. In their spare time Phil and Christa now travel to where their children live. Phil also helps run and coordinate a local community garden.

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