In this space we publish the Minister’s Musings for the current month, which is also published in our newsletter. Please enjoy.
April 2024
I am blessed to have a window at my home office which overlooks our backyard, full of gardens, grass, and the occasional critter. I observe trees, bushes, and flowers when in season. The garden is always enriched by colors of brown and green or by flower petals mimicking a sunset. To me, the beauty is always amplified with the changing of the seasons. What will fall to the wayside, and what will emerge in its place? Right now, I see the brown death of winter beginning to transition to new life as budding green foliage becomes more abundant. In reflecting upon these changing seasons, I thought, this morning, of liminal space. We spoke about liminal space during a recent worship service. Liminal space is that time between two marked endpoints to pause, reflect, grow, and change. It is a space between where you have been and where you are going. In nature, I think of the pause between the death of fall and the birth of spring – the pause of winter. I think, too, of the liminal space of our church community. I think of the marked transition we have navigated between uncertainty and stability.
Where were we last fall? We had a worship space, but no long-term lease. We had a church office, but had been in search of a new, more suitable space to inhabit. In short, we were uncertain, unstable, and in that transient mindset we have known for so long. We had no true, permanent space. We entered our own liminal time just as winter settled in, asking, what would happen next? Where would we reside? For how long? During this in-between time of winter, we had groups working in the background to negotiate, search, and plan. Now, as I watch the green emerge from brown outside my window, I watch our church transform from uncertainty to stability.
We have tangible gifts – budding flowers! – as we blossom and bloom this spring. We have a pending five-year lease with Epiphany Lutheran Church, and a three-year lease at an office space at Courthouse Square. We will save a substantial amount of money in office space rental costs. What a welcome stability! We were searching, and now we have a home. We were uncertain, and now we are reaching stability. Imperfect, yes. But we are dedicated to making the space into what we need. What intangible gifts are blooming this spring? Emotions of safety, stability, and homecoming, perhaps. Peace of mind, reassurance, calm, and security. Let us also highlight the love you share with one another. Has that grown in this liminality, as we lean on one another for stability, rather than a building? Has our commitment to this beloved church grown, celebrating all that strengthens and sustains us no matter where we are geographically? What else have we gained during this time of pause, reflection, and change? We have had an influx of visitors as we transitioned into a more permanent worship space. We have seen a growth in volunteering – we now have eight volunteers dedicated to worship each week – that is remarkable! We are blooming indeed! What we have cultivated this winter is only beginning to sprout. Think of all we can focus on now which was difficult to commit to during our time of transience: Growth, community presence, implementing our Strategic Plan, reflecting on who we are as a faith community. We have so much to look forward to as we grow and flourish this spring. So may we delight in what has bloomed. May we pause in relief. May we celebrate all that is to come. And may we do this, together, as Channing Memorial Church.
With love,
Rev. Jane
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