December 6, 2019
Dear ones,
Winter has arrived in the place where I live when I am not with you in Evanston. Last week end we had what is being termed an ”epic blizzard,” that had even folks with better things to do challenging their computer search engines to find the most accurate comparisons of past snow fall, wind gusts and days of school closings.
I found myself thinking about “traction.” I used my search engine to look it up and found an epic number of unhelpful definitions. “Traction,” in common northern Minnesota parlance, refers to the amount of shoe or boot “grip” needed to sustain forward momentum on ice sidewalks or tire grip needed to keep a vehicle moving on a snowy roadway. An effectively spinning wheel with no traction is just, well, a spinning wheel; a foot encountering glare ice is a foot in the air.
What I was more interested in as I thought of UCE is the kind of traction that is needed for any kind of plan to move forward. As physical traction depends upon the adherence between the wheel and the road, the success of our interim plan depends upon your participation.
During this first quarter of the first year of our time together the traction has been nothing short of stunning. Nearly half of you have showed up for one or more of the Interim meetings or gatherings – from Sunday services on transition and story, to town hall meetings, to brown bag conversations, retreats and workshops, and one-on-one meetings with me. You have brought your thoughts back to your groups and returned your insights in e-mails and coffee hour encounters. As we used to say in some far off time, “You rock!” Your grip is good!
AND the second part of the traction piece is all about momentum. “Grip” AND “sustained forward momentum.” We are entering the “winter season” of this project where the barriers to traction begin to emerge. Slippery surfaces abound. Busy lives, early sunsets, slippery streets, frosty windshields, narrow streets, etc., and the draw of the home hearth. Not to mention a creeping feeling of “done that, been there,” “many voices don’t need one more,” and “this is taking too long.”
This is where the wheels start to spin and we run the risk of getting stuck. All of these are true stories and there is a bigger story.
On the “Interim” page of the UCE Website you will find the report of where we have come – the initial report with updates; the report of last month’s Volunteer Workshop; and the Legacy report that helps frame past ministries in terms of the ways in which UCE has been shaped by the lasting gifts of past ministers. You can also access the sermons on transition and the need for a larger story.
December will be Interim Lite. There will be some Brown Bag groups where we will continue to look at the Covenant of Engagement. I will be attending meetings with the Staff and the Transition Team and the Board to plan for the next six months.
In January there will be a second meeting of Volunteer Leaders to continue our conversation about structure; I will offer my reflections on Mission from the pulpit and you will be invited into a deeper conversation in the Brown Bag sessions and other venues about UCE Mission. There will be some intention around gaining a deeper understanding of UCE members involvement in Social Justice.
I promise to keep this work as exciting and engaging as possible. We need your voices and your presence to provide the traction that will move you to a true new beginning. Keep “Interim” on your 2020 calendar!
This is the season that, above all else, invites peace. In the quiet of the winter night, may you find it, and for a moment, may it hold you close.
In trust,
Karen