Pandemic House Uncluttering

Watch! I’m about to carry out something new! And now it’s springing up— don’t you recognize it? I’m making a way in the wilderness and paths in the desert.

Isaiah 43:19

My friends in Christ in Pembroke, as you might recall I was to be with you for a special Teaming and Dreaming Gathering and then a preaching and reflecting time on my complete report. You have received part #1 of my report. Until I can complete a more detailed second report, enjoy 29 pages of hopefully positive renewal strategies for your blessed community of faith. In the near future, I do hope either in-person or through technology complete the Teaming and Dreaming workshop. It will take a few weeks to work out how a largely tech-based meeting could take place.

I don’t know what you have been doing during this socially distanced time, but I have been involved in several things.

Sulking over no team basketball or softball! Those things nourish my soul!
Making a new start on playing my guitar
Beginning to write a fourth book – lessons from faith and sports
Beginning new behaviors that will make me a healthier (and lighter) person
Cleaning out our home and our storage area of things that we probably needed to get rid of many years ago

This cleaning process has led to more money in the bank – one paid storage gone. It has led to getting rid of 500 of over 2,000 sermons – ever need a sermon, I have lots of them. And then there are the unneeded things that just were cluttering up our lives or which were taking time to maintain. Once liberated to go to community oriented and charitable thrift shops, those cluttering and maintenance needing things will be gone. It hasn’t always been easy – “That Phillies tee shirt reminds me of when I went to the 1992 World Series”…..”Even though that coffee table is out of date and we already have two, it reminds me of the home we lived in two houses ago”…..”I know the stamp collection isn’t worth much, but when I was a child they were my first history lessons”…..”Yes, I already have several of the same tools, but you never know when you are going to need an extra one.” This stay at home time has also been a time to rethink engrained behaviors. The uncluttering of them has been more difficult. The Naylors are working on a fresh, less incumbered re-start. So, in some ways, this less than active time has become a time of renewal.

By now you may have guessed where this is going. Hopefully this time for more pondering about what’s needed and what needs to go can be a spiritual discipline as you look at a fresh start for your blessed church. The pandemic has offered us a time to reflect upon what’s important in life. The isolation time has given us a chance to understand how much we need each other and what are the caring attitudes that we need to nurture. It has reminded us of how much our disagreements are small compared to what are really big problems. In some ways it is God’s calling all of us in our personal and church lives to do some new things that bring healing and wholeness.

My friends in Christ, let us take some time to unclutter our homes and our souls of unneeded stuff so we can do God’s old, but always new, thing in your wonder-filled family of faith. I look forward to supporting you in doing that new thing at First Church of Pembroke.

Stay Safe and Be Blessed,

Bob

“Giving thanks for your faithful commitment to First Church and Pastor Fred’s sensitive and healing leadership through this challenging pandemic time.”