New Year Friday Five

At RGBP, Sally writes:
As we have stepped from 2008 into 2009 some of us look back with joy and others with saddness; probably most of us with a mixture of the two.

As we look back we may come to understand how God has worked in and through us in joy and saddness. how we have grown against what may seem impossible odds. As we look forward we may do so with expectation, and we may do so with fear and trembling. As we look back and forward in New Years liminality I offer you this simple yet I hope profound Friday Fivein two parts:

First list five things that you remember/ treasure from 2008

1. I cherish my B. I treasure the ways in which B and I have deepened in our marriage. By far my best friend and heart of my heart and love of my love.

2. The suicide of my nephew in January. I remember those days with razor sharp clarity. I don't treasure the experience, but what I do treasure is the resiliency of my sister (his mother) and all the ways in which she has walked through this fire and pain and grief of this year without being burned to ashes. Her grace and honest way of living in this has been...I am so grateful. I also treasure the way in which my family really became family in so many more ways than we ever have. So, I treasure that too.

3. I treasure the arrival of our sweetie Fenway,an adult chocolate lab mix, who picked us last spring to be her people. (Why would she do that? There is a lot of competition for attention in our animal farm household. In any case, I am glad she did!) I also celebrate all of the goofy dogs and cats that we love and care for. Never a dull moment.

4. New colleagues. I am coming up on three years in being in New England, and two years in my congregration. Making collegial friends, finding support, working together--it all takes time. I feel like I am finally in a network of folks that I can trust, laugh with, synergize with...and of course, I just love RevGals. I talk about this community all the time. Thank you for creating this community!

5. I treasure the memory of B's mom, who died this summer. She suffered from alzheimer's. I was honored to lead the memorial service, and to write her remembrances/eulogy with input from all of her children. People laughed and cried, and all I have to say, she was definitely something else.

6. I treasure so many more memories, but I will stop at six. I will have to say I treasure the people in my congregation with whom I have the privilege being in ministry with. Right now, I am picturing all of them in my mind's eye. Thanks be to God for them.

Then list five things that you are looking forward to in 2009:

1. I look forward to deepening my creativity and skills with clay. Ah! I just love it.

2. The BE2!

3. The mystery of the journey--where will it wind to next?

4. Learning more. About everything, but expanding professionally.

5. This should be number one, but growing deeper in my relationship with God. I am interesting in connecting with Shalem, or something like that. There is a spirituality center locally called Ruah, and they have some contemplative practise offerings that are intriguing...

Sally also left this gorgeous New Year Blessing from the Iona Community:

We stand to face the future:
God behind us in the past
Christ before us; the way ahead;
Christ beside us in this moment;
Christ beneath us in our weakness;
Christ above to shield us-
beneath the shadow of his wings we are safe;
Christ between us to bind us in the unity of his love;
Christ in us equipping us with his all sufficient grace.
Thus armed and guided, and protected we face the new year.
Now we arise and go forth on the journey before us,
knowing that, where Christ leads, life is a journey home.
Therefore we travel in faith, in hope, and in love,
in the name of the Father/ Mother, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
May the blessing of God
be upon us
all this year
and into eternity. Amen.