December 30 Update from Eliana Maxim
Seattle Presbytery
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out
of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
‘See, the home of God is among mortals. God will dwell with them, they will be God’s peoples, and Godself will be with them; God will wipe every tear from their eyes.’”
(Revelation 21:1-3)
Dear friends,
I’m trying hard not to put too much pressure or expectations on 2021. Though after experiencing 2020, you can only go up from that, right? But it takes time to rebound from a global pandemic and the rolling out of the covid vaccine is going to take longer than had been predicted.
With all that in mind, I still have longings for the new year…
…to be able to hug my family members without masks and quarantining
…to share a meal with dear friends in our homes
…to worship in person alongside my siblings in Christ
…to go to the office with my valued colleagues, collaborating and co-inspiring together
…to attend meetings only rarely resorting to Zoom
…to see you!
Although it may be quite some time before any of these are my reality again, my comfort comes from remembering the words of Revelation: God is among us, God dwells with us.
And so in the meantime, and as we enter this new year, I pray…
…that we may be resolute in our caring for one another, masks and all
…that we confront the inequities of our society and work to dismantle them
…that we recommit to intentional relationship building through whatever means it takes
…that we continue to find meaningful worship experiences in our congregations
…that we lean into and onto one another for support and encouragement
…that we remain engaged in the work of being church in our communities
…that we nurture creativity, imagination, courage, and love in one another and in our calls
Peace and courage to you, my friends.
Here’s to 2021!
Rev. Eliana Maxim
Co-Executive Presbyter