It’s Pencil Time!

I used to be a ‘pen’ kind of person – I love beautiful fountain pens – or even good gel pens. And, back when I used to do a lot of crossword puzzles, I would brag that I did them in pen. And, I kept my calendar in pen….. well, pen and white-out. It finally occurred to me that IF I use a pencil, I can erase the changes and my calendars and (my crosswords) won’t be such a mess.

So, now I’m a ‘pencil’ kind of person – or more accurately, a ‘pencil and eraser’ kind of person. Erasers help us make changes easily and neatly. They can be a metaphor for experimentation, forgiveness, second chances….

Interim time is a ‘pencil and eraser’ time for a congregation. It’s a time to experiment with new kinds of leadership, different things in worship, new ideas and new programs. It’s a time to try some things without having to cast them in stone. Some things will work for us and will stay in place and others will need to be erased, so we can try something else – or go back to what we were already doing.

This pencil and eraser time can be life-giving for a church – after all, the 7 last words of a dying church are:  “We never did it that way before!” So, I encourage you to embrace this pencil & eraser time:

            1. Suggest new things you would like to try – to me, to Pastor Fred, to someone on the Transition Team (Scott MacDerment, Patricia Best, Janie Kaelberer, Christ Eurich) or to someone on the Consistory.

            2. Offer feedback on the new things we are trying. Think of ways we can strengthen our work and witness, as we prepare for a new Senior Pastor.

The good news, is that I came here with lots and lots of pencils (and erasers), so we can try things and change things and go back to things – in whatever ways God is leading us to be.

Blessings – Laura Lee