08 Sep Ponderings for September 8, 2023
Hello my dear Northlea Friends,
I do hope your summer brought some delightful moments. I know there are some of you who have had some life changes that are challenging if not scary. Others are moving in new directions. I have often thought that there is one guarantee in life and that is change. The season of fall can teach us a lot about change (join us for Love Jazz Sunday Sept 10 at 5pm for more on that).
Last Sunday I preached on Moses and the burning bush. It was the first time I realized how existence itself will call us out of complacency. Moses had 40 years of relative peace and quiet but the Great I Am in the burning bush called him out of comfort to take on a really hard and scary mission. Most of us would likely bow out and say, thanks but I’m quite content where I am. Yet something in us knows that that’s not really living fully. Even in the midst of difficulty, we find our fullness of life, our liberation, by stepping into it with courage and faith. In some cases the options are pretty clear and definitive. In other cases we have to discern what we are being called to. In either case we can be resigned to sit back and turn on the tv or whatever distraction we prefer, but what will we miss by saying no to the liberating call of life?
As we begin a new season of ‘being’ church. We are invited to return and participate in creating community, in sharing in liberating each other, our neighbors and those in great need. The greatest antidote to indifference or despair is to participate in something beyond ourselves. I hope that the various activities and programs that we will be offering will call you out and into our mission in the ways that you feel able. If getting out is not possible for you, let us know and I/we’ll come to you.
The good news is that no matter what change will bring, the God of love and mercy will be with us, providing all that we need to do what life calls us to do.
Blessings for the changing season,
Lee-Ann
Note from Council
As announced before the summer, Stephen Popiel has stepped down as Chair of Council. In the short term I will be taking on the Chair. There is currently no one we are aware of that can/will take Stephen’s place. (Please let us know if there is someone you want to recommend.) While we are discerning who might be our next Chair, the Council and Staff will be entering an assessment process. We’re doing a deep dive to reflect on how we are doing and what the assets and challenges are as we move forward. We all know that the church has changed significantly over the past few years, particularly given the covid shut downs. Communities everywhere have changed, people have changed, engagement has changed. We need to do some learning around how to deal with the change, how to manage the loss, the fear, the insecurities. Our process will begin with individual conversations with members of Council and Staff, as we have found ourselves challenged with a variety of issues that make moving forward difficult. I think of our process as a reboot. My hope is that we will come away with some new skills, practicies and perspectives that we can share with the congregation, skills, practices and perspectives that will help us all to live out our mission with courage, compassion, creativity and enthusiasm.
Please contact me if you have any questions, concerns, comments.
Lee-Ann