Emerging from a Liminal Year

2020 was a year we will ever forget.  There is no doubt that for many people, this past year may have been one of the most challenging in their memory.  There have been too many lives lost, jobs affected and businesses who are struggling or who have had to close. Some are struggling with the isolation that comes from our attempts to keep one another safe.  For those who are struggling or grieving, please know that I am not minimizing these repercussions of the pandemic.

For some, there are also blessings to count.  For people whose lives were constantly on the go, the ceasing or slowing down of activities offered a respite.  Some of us had an opportunity to spend additional time with family members, or spend more time working remotely from destinations other than home due to the flexibility of working remotely.  Many of us spent less money and have less wear and tear on our vehicles.

Most organizations, including churches, have had to completely rethink the ways things are done.  This has created a significant challenge and has been easier to navigate for some than others.  As churches began meeting online, it has made it possible for people to participate who may not have been able to otherwise as distance and mobility challenges were removed.  For some who may not have internet and or computers or technology skills, this created more isolation.  Most of us have been forced to become more creative!

This past year has been a liminal season.  A time of disorientation between what was and what will come.  A time of neither here nor there.  There is much uncertainty during a liminal season.  And it is a time when God, the Creator does some of their best work.  Over recent years, a number of scholars have been suggesting that we are in the midst of The Great Emergence, rooted in the observation that massive transitions in the church and culture happen about every 500 years. I believe that the Covid-19 pandemic has escalated the transition that was already taking place.  There are growing pains, and a pruning of the vine is taking place.

William Bridges describes the liminal season in an organizational setting as “The Neutral Zone”.  Anxiety rises; motivation fails.  Attendance drops off.  Old weakness re-emerge.  Old conflicts resurface.  Personnel are overloaded. People are divided between those who want to embrace the new opportunities that are emerging and those who want to try to go back to “normal”.

As we begin this new year, there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel with vaccinations becoming available to fight the pandemic.  The question for us is “How can we make the best use of this time so that we will emerge with a stronger purpose and intentional mission?”  If we are wise, we will be intentional as we transition out of this liminal season.

Peace and blessings,