Into the New Year

How do you feel about 2009? What are you anticipating this year?

Perhaps it's just me, but I feel like there's change in the air. Maybe it's the big stuff; Obama, the financial crisis, climate change, the end of a decade and the unknown void of the next era. Maybe for me it's personal; suddenly getting made redundant, looking forward to having our baby mid-year, our time at college drawing to a close and the new chapter of life and ministry in Tasmania beyond that.

I do feel a vibe of change though. Here's a snapshot:

• Upmarket New Yorkers cancelling the usual New Years' dinner party extravaganza and instead holding a 'lets party like it's 1929' themed experiment in retro-cool thriftiness.

• John Birmingham's 'righetous certainty' that not only is much expected of President Obama, but that he will expect much, demand much even, from the people. He has a great paragraph about how we may be called to grow out of our childish culture of instant gratification.

• Maybe it's because I'm in my late 20s (and therefore on the verge of entering adulthood!) but I feel like perhaps this may be a new 'grown up' era. Many are reflecting on life and repenting of wastefullness and frivolity. Colin Beavan, aka 'No Impact Man' (the guy who tried to live in NYC for a year with no net environmental impact) reflects on the reaction to the recent film about his project and on society's growing appreciation for the things that really matter.
  

• I don't know if you feel it yet in Tasmania, but working for a geeky web development company where pretty much everyone had an iPhone (and knew how to use it!) I felt like we were very much on the threshold of another leap in technology, a new era of mobile interconnectedness.

So is 2009 a year of change? Maybe it isn't for you... yet! But it could be. I'm pretty convinced that we're already seeing, perhaps just approaching, a crest of major societal change. But sure, it could just be a tough economic year, from which we recover and everything continues on as normal. Whatever happens, I'd love to start a discussion on how we can make the most of it.

Here's a few ideas that have been kicking around my head:

• Whatever happens, the most important thing for me this year is to come to love and worship Jesus more and more, and to desire the same for others.

• There's some awesome things coming up in Tasmania this year. I just had a look at the Vision 100 calendar - check it out - it's very encouraging to see so much great stuff happening in Tassie!
  

• When times are tough it's appropriate, even necessary, to reflect on who we are, what we're doing and how we need to change. GTD blogger Matt has some cool stuff to say on organisational health. This is a bit of a digression, but something I've been thinking about lately is that the whole Vision 100 thing feels like it's lacking some clarity. I realise that this probably has a lot to do with me having been out of the state for a couple of years and it's probably mostly due to me being a bit out of touch! But sometimes looking from the outside in you can see the big picture. And that big picture looks a little fuzzy to me. Maybe this is a time to think hard, to re-organise, to define and clarify so that we can move forward with bold and clear communication.

For me, this year is going to be uncertain. Will I find a job? What will having a baby be like? Will we be ok? How will I feel about leaving Sydney? The list goes on and on, and this really isn't the place for me to do that, but I suspect I'm not alone. This is a time of uncertainty. If you're on the the 44,000+ people who've recently been made redundant that change is an immediate and personal reality.

As ministers of the gospel, now is a time to be on the front foot. Now is a time to act and speak. Now is a time to proclaim the message about our great God who does not change. For all of us now is a time to show the world what true change is and to pray fervently for great change.