As I write this, the cold front is in and I’m looking out my window at snow (!) and ice, knowing I can’t leave the house. The covid dashboard for Austin shows that though cases are coming down, and fairly rapidly, we are still in Stage 5.

And yet, my heart is singing and I’m not only imagining, I am planning for a great 2022 for Live Oak.

Soon, it will be warm. Warm enough to gather on Sundays outside. And if the omicron decline continues its downward pattern, we could be back to Stage 3 or lower, maybe in a month or so.

Our new music director, Curtis White, officially began work today. He brings with him a vision for the future of Live Oak’s music program, and an enthusiasm for what we already have. The last step of his interview/audition process was this past Sunday, when he met outside with the choir and taught them a new song, with the search committee observing (and participating in) the process. Today, as he and I met on Zoom, he talked about how good that felt, to be with them, doing music together. (And I believe the choir members will express similar sentiments.)

It looks probable that this Sunday, the weather will be such that it will be another “Jammie Sunday,” as the worship participants livestream the service from the sanctuary. But you will be able to see Curtis in action, as he leads the two hymns. And though the choir cannot yet gather in person for rehearsals, he’ll be meeting with them at their usual time Wednesday evening.

I’ll share that Sunday will be a mix of emotions for me. As Curtis steps onto the chancel for his first Sunday with us, Carrie will be stepping off, in her last Sunday at Live Oak. Carrie began with us on August 1, 2017 … and to me, it seems unbelievable that she’s only been here 4 1/2 years. She transformed our faith development program, and was an amazing collaborator. Behind the scenes, for every program or worship service you saw, there were hours of discussing theology, philosophy, anti-oppression, and pedagogy. My own faith was developed further during this time, and I’ll miss her so much. Our “Ted Lasso” month is over, but I have to quote the character one more time: “It’s funny to think about how the things in your life that can make you cry just knowing they existed, can then become the same things that make you cry knowing that they’re now gone. Those things come into our lives to help us get from one place to a better one.” Well, that’s how I feel about the ministry that Carrie Krause brought to Live Oak. She helped us get from one place to a better one.

And we move forward, taking what Carrie developed and looking for the new religious educator who will lead us into the future. The search for our new Director of Lifespan Faith Development continues and we’ll keep you posted on that. For now, we are incredibly grateful to have Cindy La Greca leading the program as Acting Director of Lifespan Faith Development.

And, beginning in April, there will be another new face, or new-ish face. I’ll be taking my delayed-because-of-covid sabbatical from April through August, and Rev. Jami Yandle has agreed to help us out in the role of part-time Sabbatical Minister. They will be preaching twice a month, leading staff meetings, attending Board and Executive Committee meetings, and serving as on-call pastoral care support in case of serious issues. You’ve seen Rev. Jami before, when they preached at Live Oak after Thanksgiving and after New Year’s. In addition to their skill as a preacher, they are an expert in trauma recovery and anti-oppression, and I’m excited about all the things they’ll foster while here at Live Oak. You can learn more about Rev. Jami in this article, “Serving with the Deepest Respect and Care,” and in their writings, Notes from the Pandemic Front-line Trenches and Heaven Broken Open.

Isn’t it funny how you can dislike a piece of art and then something in your life changes and you find an appreciation for it? I have not, I confess, been a fan of the song Woyaya from our hymnal. “Heaven knows where we are going” was just too loosey-goosey for me. I had a PLAN, man!

And then life happened. A global pandemic that upended everything I was prepared to do with a church. And the song is now, for me, a message of faith. I have hopes about the future, but I’m writing my plans in pencil. I am learning to be more open to change, to spontaneity, to Spirit moving in unexpected but potentially transformative ways. We will get there. Heaven knows how we will get there, but we know we will.

We are going, heaven knows where we are going
But we know within
And We will get there, heaven knows how we will get there
But we know we will.