Transitions
 

Greetings in Christ Jesus! I’m writing this, my first article for All Saints’ newsletter, from “The Land of In Between.” My family and I have said farewell to our former parish, with gratitude for the gifts of God that we were privileged to share with one another. Now we are eagerly looking forward to moving to Richland, settling in and beginning the next chapter in our lives with all of you.
 

But we are not there yet, by any stretch of the imagination! Right now, we are decidedly UNsettled. We are surrounded by boxes, bags, and piles of belongings to be sorted and packed, or given away, or disposed of. There is a clipboard full of lists and reminders of all manner of tasks to be done. And it seems as though I can’t go 10 minutes without thinking of one more thing that MUST NOT be forgotten! Right now, so much of our energy is simply consumed with the work of shifting from one place to the other. It is a happy, exciting time; but also challenging, and more than a little stressful. As I told Lisa the other day, I’m looking forward to the time when the moving stops and the living begins.
 

But that’s not quite accurate, is it? This time of transition is not separate from our life, but rather an integral part of the way God forms us. It is utterly necessary, like growth spurts that leave a child awkward and gangly until balance and motor development catch up with the physical changes. It is part of the process of life – a sign of health, really, without which none of us reach adulthood. The best we can do is to accept the reality with thanksgiving, patience, and as much good humor as we can muster.
 

I believe this will be helpful to remember as we begin our journey together as priest and people. There’s a lot of ground to cover as we get to know one another, and as God continues to form us as community. Our ways of doing and being, worshiping and working and understanding one another will inevitably shift as time passes, and it’s entirely possible that some of those shifts may not go as smoothly as any of us would like! A good dose of patience and humor will go a long way toward clearing the path as we go along.
 

I am sure that we have been brought together to witness to the Good News of the Kingdom present for each of us individually, and even more so as a community, in relationship with Jesus Christ. Any “gangly” moments in this time of transition are simply part of the Holy Spirit working out God’s good purpose in all of us.
 

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jer 29:11)
 

And now...where did I put that clipboard?
 

“O Lord, your compassions never fail, and your mercies are new every morning …” This is the way of Jesus Christ, the way that leads to life.