Dear Ones, this is a moment!
Yeah, a lot of it feels the same as the last moment. This extended Pandemictide has the feeling of unending sameness, eerie familiarity, and expectant change that makes it all so…so…over and underwhelming at the same time. But let us not fall under the weight of our own expectations and instead rejoice in this strange moment for a little longer.
We are now in a strange both/and time in our church calendar. After Epiphany, we began Ordinary Time. This is the regular time of the church year, marked by the color green. It is normal, like the time between the big seasons of Christmas and Lent.
And yet, at the same time, as the Season After Epiphany, it is also bestowed a character that the Season After Pentecost doesn’t. So it is both normal and special. Perhaps that is a useful frame for our moment.
I also want to share with you two timely items.
Last week, we were able to host an emergency shelter. This allowed a number of people to have a place to stay during the extreme cold. I am grateful for our continued work with the Homeless Coalition and Reach Services to provide life-saving shelter.
And now with Omicron surging, we are making arrangements for a potential hybrid annual meeting. We will need your help to ensure this works. Stay tuned!
Drew