Happy New Year! As I
write that, I am mindful of how easily that can roll off someone’s tongue and
how much it can miss the mark of the reality that many are living. Last year, many people wished me a happy new
year. But neither they nor I had any
idea of the unexpected challenges, grief and loss that would come in 2012. Likewise, when I wish people happy new year
now - we have no idea what lies ahead of
us. Some of us are struggling –
spiritually, emotionally, financially, relationally ….. and some of us are
doing that in great isolation. Happy new
year? Well maybe not a superficial hallmark greeting .... but as people of faith we do extend confident prayers for one another that the new year will be blessed.
We have a tradition at my church of praying over the
calendar at our New Year’s day service.
We talk together about some of the things that are likely to happen in
the months ahead, but mainly we simply consecrate each day of the year to God in the
knowledge that so many unexpected things may happen. As a community, when difficult things happen,
it is not uncommon to remind each other, “Remember, we consecrated this day to
God.” We live, as a community, in the
remembrance that we serve Emmanuel – God with us. We live in the knowledge that God enters and
exits each day with us.
During our mini-retreat for New Direction, several of us
gathered to reflect on 2012 and to look with anticipation towards 2013. And I can honestly say that I am as excited
as I have probably ever been in my years with New Direction for what lies ahead. For many years, I have been leading change in
our organization. But, as I have
thought, prayed, reflected, spoken and taught about generous spaciousness in
the last year, I find myself feeling a paradoxical sense of restful
anticipation. Generous spaciousness is
where New Direction is supposed to be, it is what we are supposed to be about,
it is what we need to model, share, and promote.
