I love the time between Christmas and New Years. The anxiety and stress around gift-giving and fancy meals is past; the house is littered with wrapping paper and there are plenty of leftovers. It’s a great time to read a novel, play board games, enjoy the lights on the tree before they’re taken down. A breathing time.

It’s also a time of preparation, albeit perhaps quiet, internal, preparation for what is to come—another number on the year, a new decade beginning this time. New challenges and activities and transitions. New tasks to accomplish and conversations to be had.

I’m not one to make New Years’ resolutions; they always feel like a set up to me for quick and certain failure. I am one to take stock, to evaluate, to strategize and to plan, however. This week feels like a soft gift to begin to do that, an in between time. The older I get, the more these in-between times feel like the most important of all. What we do or don’t do during them often shapes our big active moments later.
In 2020 my own life and the life of our community will face many changes—new minister(s) will arrive, new goals will be set, new relationships will be forged. What is unimaginable in the depth of winter will become concrete in the light of spring.

For now, perhaps, dreaming in the darkness is the way forward—imagining the futures we want to see, daring to choose a bold future. At home, at work, in our shared community. Dreaming, and maybe a game of cribbage or two. That’s what I’m looking forward to. How about you?

Warmly,
Rev. Meg

Each week, the interim ministry team will share a reflection on the Soul Matters monthly theme, the state of the church, or the state of the world. Meg, Terri and Arif will alternate writing this “In the Interim” post. We encourage your comments.