Act III

Sustaining That Which is Precious

What is essential and what is expendable? What will we carry over into our future and what do we need to leave behind? That’s the question we need to explore.

Contrary to the practice of our throw-away society, we know that keeping the best of our heritage is essential to realizing the opportunities God holds before us. It is the stuff that engages with contemporary life to generate new capacities that produce new possibilities. Adaptive change is about more than planting new trees.

The Transition is a time for sifting through and holding onto what is essential from our past. We will use the Odyssey Report to comb through our presbytery – through specific things like culture, structure, meetings and staffing. This is a challenging and sensitive process, for what is gold to one person, may be tarnish to another.

So we enter a season of spiritual discernment. Then of practical decision-making. And it must be handled with care, for real people will be giving up real things.

While the presbytery will experience loss, we will also gain, as something new is fashioned out of the old. That which is precious from the Ancient of Days will be sustained for the dawning of a new era, like an aged leaf in the morning light.