"If anyone is in Jesus Christ, there is a new creation. The past is finished and gone; everything becomes fresh and new." (II Corinthians 5:17)

I'm having a conflicted reaction to the words above. They're some of the most familiar words in scripture to many of us, and they're usually spoken as an assurance of forgiveness. I need that assurance every day-I have much to confess: when I am short-tempered with my spouse, when I am impatient with the person ahead of me in line, when I am frustrated about anything and am inattentive to my choice of words, I need forgiveness. I'm daily in need of forgiveness, and grateful that God doesn't keep a running list of any of our sins. I would do well to remember that, whenever I forget to be a conduit of grace and mercy to another human being. I need and love this reminder to receive and extend forgiveness. "Morning by morning, new mercies I see..."

On the other hand.... I don't always want the past to be finished and gone. When it comes to fresh starts, new beginnings and change, I think I may have hit the wall. Two months into this new position, I find myself profoundly nostalgic for "home", even though I think I sent off the last of my change-of-address info and have definitely memorized a new zip code. I miss the congregation with whom I served for 13.5 years. I miss seeing familiar faces on Sunday mornings and committee meetings through the week. I miss knowing exactly where to find the spice aisle in the grocery store. I'm loving meeting new people every day and beginning to form new relationships, but I miss the comfort of someone knowing my kids' names, or not having to introduce myself 27 times a day, or having all the context I need to understand and offer my gifts. I'm a tiny bit homesick.

It causes me to be even more sympathetic towards those who resist change. It's one thing to invite change. It's another to have change plopped in our laps like a wet dog. How do we find a balance between seeing new opportunities for faithfulness and joy or digging in our heels because the known can be easier, less stressful or more comfortable? What needs to be fresh and new? When can change and risk usher in something healthier, something truer to God's vision for wholeness for all? Sometimes discomfort can be holy.

This week presbytery's Council meets for an overnight retreat, the purpose of which is part business, part relationship building and part nudging ourselves forward on the Joshua Journey. At the forefront of our conversations will be planning and goal-setting using the focusing words of the presbytery's mission statement:

Nourished by the living waters of Jesus Christ, we awaken, enliven and enhance worshipping communities to courageously extend their branches and bear new fruit in the Spirit.

Pray with us, please, that we will discover what needs some innovation, for the good of the congregations we seek to serve in Christ's name, and what we should continue to embrace, because it is a mark of health and wholeness.

Traveling mercies,

Jennifer

PS: Friend me on Facebook! Follow us on Facebook at Presbytery of Wabash Valley! (not to be confused with other pages. This is the one. Check today to see if you've "liked" the page we're frequently updating.)

Stop by and connect with Jennifer at convenient coffee shops all over the presbytery:

• Tuesday, October 11: 10am-2:00 p.m.(eastern) - Intersection Coffee Shop 301 E. Linden Ave. Logansport (Located in the Bridge Community Church)
• Thursday, October 20: 10 am-2;00 p.m (eastern) - Sacred Grounds  724 Wabash Avenue, Lafayette
• Tuesday, October 25: 10am- 2:00 p.m. (central) - Sip Coffee House 11 N. Court St., Crown Point

And know that you can always set another time to get together. Feel free to contact Jennifer at Jennifer@ourpresbytery.org or 574-653-1003.

She hopes to meet each and everyone of you as she travels around the presbytery hearing about your dreams and visions for the church of today.