Transition times like what we’re in here at First Lutheran Church are times of liminality. “Liminality” comes from the Latin limen, meaning “threshold.” It is like standing on the threshold between one room and another. It is an evolving state of an individual, place, organization, or institution, in the space between and an ending and a new beginning.* Experiences of pregnancy, divorce, moving between homes, starting retirement, job terminations, even the Covid pandemic, are other examples of liminal times. They can be and often are marked by discomfort, anxiety, and uncertainty as well as anticipation and excitement. In our success and achievement-oriented culture, we can be tempted to simply rush or push through these times in order to get onto “the next best thing.” That is a mistake. Doing so leads us to miss out on the opportunities such times can bring to see and experience reality in new and deeper ways. Very often the anxieties and fears in liminal periods, if not addressed or even embraced for what they can bring, are just carried into the next phase of our lives to become unintentionally expressed in unhealthy and even hurtful ways.
We don’t want that to happen here. We want to take the time and effort to enter more fully and expectantly into this liminal time so that we can receive all that God wants to offer in wisdom, guidance, and deepening relationship with Him and each other. We want to squarely and courageously face our anxieties and fears to understand better what they can teach us about who we are and what our areas of growth need to be.
Leading in that process is part of my responsibility as your transition pastor. Upcoming events like the CAT (Congregational Assessment Tool) Summary, “The Chapters of Our History Together,” “Why Us?” and other events will be opportunities to work on and reflect upon this together. I’m here also to listen to whatever you want to share or talk about (call or email me to set up a time or come in during office hours, Monday & Tuesday).
Our newly forming Transition Team will help organize and promote these events and other activities. The months ahead will provide us with rich opportunities to discern God’s will and purpose for First Lutheran Church that we might be in as solid and healthy a place as possible for the next pastor and chapter. Let us join together in fervent and continual prayer for that to happen!
Your fellow servant in Christ,
Pastor Mark Perry
(*quoted from work by psychologist Amy Sander Motanez)
