Hello my friends and happy Friday! It is a chilly, gray, wet day here in Georgia. and I am trying hard not to let the weather color my mood. A little TGIF is just what I need!
Thinking about … yet another devotion our pastor, Beverly, shared this week. She talked about a conference she attended – virtually – the week before:
Much I heard at this conference pushed back against that feeling that things are not as they should be. To be clear, NO ONE said that this virus and pandemic are good or are God’s will or “should be” happening. What I heard over and over again is that when we trust God through this virus and pandemic, maybe we can see how God is doing a new thing even now. Maybe we need to let go of hoping for what was and start paying attention to what wonderful new thing we are becoming right now.
Our Presbytery’s own Rev. Aisha Brooks-Lytle preached an amazing sermon [on this text “Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” – Isaiah 43:18-19]. Her refrain was something like this… the new thing is the “now” thing. When we read this text from Isaiah we tend to look into the future for the new thing springing forth. We read this as a prediction that we think we can prepare for. What if we are living right in the midst of the new thing God is doing?
This changes our perspective on our life together at [church]. If God is in the middle of doing something new in worship, how can we faithfully follow God’s lead? Going back to the way we used to do it is usually not the faithful answer. Completely throwing out all of our traditions isn’t either. How do we continue to live into virtual worship and return to in-person worship (at a future date) so that everyone in attendance feels like they have worshipped God in a faithful community? If God is in the middle of doing something new in community life, how do we faithfully follow God’s lead? Will we become a body that is less rooted in connections that happen in a physical building and more able to affirm connections that happen in the virtual world? How do we honor both of these ways of being God’s body at work in this world?
What if the “new thing” is now? I know we aren’t going back to how it used to be and that’s mostly a good thing because there was a lot about our pre-pandemic ways of life/systems/etc. that needed to be changed. BUT I was thinking we might still see some “new” (good) things. AND what if we already are. paradigm shift.
Beverly closed with this prayer, “Give us the energy, intelligence, imagination, and love we’ll need in order to follow you faithfully.” May it be so. (also, none of those four words were on my More list for 2021. I’m thinking about that, too.)
Grateful for … this text exchange late yesterday with Sara.
Sara learned to knit back in 2014 when she made a blanket for soon-to-be-born Charlie. She picked it back up last month when she decided to knit another blanket for a friend who’s having her first baby in June. She’s knitting the Heirloom Blanket (that I knit last summer) in a lovely cream shade of Malabrigo Worsted. When she started the project she was convinced she didn’t remember a thing about knitting. and I was right 🙂 … I’ve always said knitting is like riding a bicycle – once you learn, you don’t forget. We FaceTimed a lot the weekend she started (winding the skien into a ball, casting on, the knit stitch, the purl stitch), a few more times the following week (mostly about “fixing” split yarn issues on the K2Tog), and pretty much now all I see are progress photos. She’s about half finished with the blanket. I LOVE that she’s already starting to think about her next project 😉 AND that she wants to learn some new things with it.
Inspired by … next week’s forecast
to get serious about finishing Jingle (Ravelry link … and yes! I was also inspired to update Ravelry)
The colorwork is done. All I have left is a LOT of gray stockinette in the round. and that’s one thing that Chilly, Gray, Wet, February is good for.
Finished. (Ravelry link)
Woot!!! this is my first pair of fingering weight socks in … years. They FIT. They were also a lot fo FUN to knit. I already have another pair on the needles.
and … that’s a wrap. Wishing everyone the best weekend available. and if you have Monday off, I wish you the best LONG weekend available.
See you Tuesday!
mere-et-filles 
Looking at those socks makes me want to hurry and finish mine! And knitting with daughters is wonderful – so happy for you both.
That text exchange is wonderful! Both of my boys tried knitting at some point, and even though it never developed into anything long-term for either of them, I still have their beginning swatches (and was so proud)! Let us know what Sara decides on for her next project; she sounds like a knitter!
P.S. Love those socks!
What fun stripes! And I love that text exchange…it must fill your heart right up.
Those are such cheerful striped socks! And that text exchange is wonderful. Hannah knows how to knit but doesn’t. I hope she will some day and this gives me hope.
I think many church communities are having similar conversations, and the Isaih text certainly is inspiring. I also think you’re right about things changing in general; I’ve had a couple of epiphanies this week about ways I used to operate that I’m pretty sure will not return. Love the new sweater pattern, and those socks are fabulous! The only downer on this post is your weather forecast. Our high for the next week falls in the range of your low temps! It’s been bitter cold for four days and no break in sight until the end of next week. I’m ready for a vacation somewhere south—dreaming of next year already.
Those socks! They made me smile so big! They do look like a perfect fit, and who can’t be happy looking at those colors?
I love that you and Sara are able to knit together long-distance. I think she can totally handle a cowl if she’s doing that blanket. The hardest part will be joining without twisting.
What cheerful bright socks. They should be fun to wear in February. I love it when socks fit!!! The text messages with your daughter are wonderful. I do think knitting is like riding a bicycle and recently I am beginning to think spinning is the same way. I hadn’t done any since September or so and when I picked it up two weeks ago, I hadn’t lost the muscle memory. So encouraging.
Totally fabulous socks – what a colourful antidote to the grey of February! And a heart-warming exchange of texts – it’s lovely to be able to support the next generation, isn’t it! Energy, intelligence, imagination and love – that’s a splendid quartet and without one of them, the other three wouldn’t be nearly as effective. My current non-fiction book is entitled “From what is to what if’ by Rob Hopkins and subtitled ‘Unleashing the power of the imagination to create the future we want’. I’ll keep you posted :). Wishing a lovely Sunday and a great start to the week.
What great socks, Mary! Love those colorful stripes. 🙂
love the sweater in progress so so so pretty! The socks are fab and I bet when you wear them you smile because of the joyful colors.
It was nice to see you on Sunday! That sweater is really lovely – though pink is always a win! Go Sara go…I had someone ask to be taught yesterday. We shall see. Those socks bring on a great big smile!