I couldn't find an open exercise machine on January 2nd at the gym. Today, only a week later, I had the pick of the litter. Now, that's not to say the place wasn't still hopping, but it has been noticeably quieter even after the new year's deluge of well-intentioned upstarts. There is no judgment from me on this, I'm as keen as the next person to start things off right, to make a plan, to have some resolutions on the table. And, I can't help but notice this is who we are as people. While the world might encourage us to seek only the perfect or the pure (and sadly, the Church does this often too), we are all about a long faithfulness in the same direction. That's what our trying to follow Jesus is all about in this life—just trying, moving in the same direction, over a lifetime. No saint is writing this, but I can say that life is funny in that progress, for most of us, is not a straight line, but neither is it happenstance.
So, this New Year, all I've got, is the same old me. But, I can try again at some familiar things—I've recently found a new spiritual director, something I've always had, but this is a completely new person and I feel a bit like I'm starting all over. I could be frustrated by this, or simply realize, this is not a step backward, just maybe to the side, for another view of things. As we move into this new year, with change ahead of us as a nation and people, I'd encourage you to take this time to look around right where you are in life and begin again with what is at hand, in your hands, or holding you. Continue on a long faithfulness in the same direction.
This Sunday, you'll have lots of opportunity to do that here at Epiphany. After the 10:00 am, I'd invite you to join J2J in the UPH as we explore, learning together, and wonder about how we, as the church, can be faithful amidst the pressures and realities of immigration in this country. Or, join the first of a three part series entitled Stand by Me in Hadley Hall on making hard decisions at the end of life and how we can support loved ones and ourselves in this faithfulness. And, if you're a mother of young ones, perhaps now is the time to build some community with others, as our Moms of Young Children Group meets in the Rector's study for an informal luncheon. There is so much going on—much of it familiar, all of it close to home, right where we are. Come, join in, let's be our same old selves, in new ways, and together.
See you Sunday,
Nick
