Take 5
I remember sitting in my Premarital and Marital Counseling course in graduate school and hearing my professor say, “Nothing prepares you for being married like being married.” He was teaching us that
just because we’ve read about marriage in a book doesn’t mean we’re now marriage experts. Learning about marriage and being married are two very different things. There is a wisdom and humility that come from lived experience, something a book or class lecture simply can’t replicate.
The older I’ve gotten the more I’ve discovered this logic of lived experience applies to situations well beyond marriage. Nothing like having a child, starting a new job, leaving for college, losing a loved one, or navigating a pandemic to prepare you for actually living through it. There isn’t a simulation that comes close to matching the emotions, stress, and energy required to navigate these and other life circumstances, whether they’re good or bad. We can often keep up with an increased pace for a while, but inevitably fatigue sets in. That’s often one of the first signs that our lives have become disordered, our bodies start rebelling from the extraordinary stress and strain.
It’s in these moments that we need to stop, take a breath, and reassess. Where are we? How are we? Why are we? Who are we? In the world of sports they call it a timeout. In the world of theater they call this a “Take 5”. It’s a chance for the actors to stop and regroup, remember what they are doing and why they’re doing it, and if they’re willing, how they can move forward.
As a church we’ve been navigating quite a lot of change, transition, and stress these last few years. We’ve lost members and welcomed new ones, lost staff and hired staff, we’ve navigated all kinds of situations and circumstances, not the least of which a global pandemic, and in the midst of all of it we’ve worked hard to maintain our mission to pursue God, build community, and unleash compassion. I know many of us are tired. I can see it in our eyes, hear it in our voices, sense it in our souls. I think there’s never been a better time for us to “Take 5”.
In fact, the aim of this issue of By the Way Magazine is to help us do just that — take a pause, a deep breath, remember who we are and why we’re here, and chart a path forward. We’ve tasked each of our ministries to share with us 5 ways that we can engage once again with our shared vision — partnering with God in His reconciliation of all creation. Each article you read is designed to help you find some ways to regroup and recommit to the our shared life together. We pray that you are inspired by the many ways God has been at work in our church family and filled with hope by the many different opportunities we can partner together with Him to make a kingdom impact in Lubbock and around the world. So church, let me be the first to invite you to Take 5!