When I first learned that my office was going to move to the nave of the church during the reconstruction of our Mission House, I was hesitant. I love my usual office. It is a perfect size for working alone and for 2 or 3 people to gather. There are trees outside all the windows, and I can hear the rotating activities on the Penn South asphalt outside throughout the year. I have most of my meetings in that office and I do most of my writing there, as well. It is the perfect combination of accessible and set apart.
I wasn’t sure how any of this was going to translate to the geography in the picture above. Open space, no view of trees, and lots and lots of activity throughout the day. But I had no choice, so I joined my colleagues in boxing up the belongings in all of the third floor offices and making the move (n.b.: there was a fair bit of culling along the way, too—it is truly amazing how quickly one can accumulate detritus!!).
One month in, and I confess that I really like the change. I do have to work from home on Wednesdays and sometimes part of Mondays, as my new office is not conducive to pastoral conversations. It is difficult to construct thoughts and write them in a way that makes sense with all the activity happening in the church, too. But that very same activity is energizing! I used to check in and say hello to people downstairs regularly before. Now I am able to connect with people throughout the day. I hear them talking and laughing, and I experience the rhythm of our soup kitchen and pantry programs more fully. I get to center under the beautiful golden ship now, and I am inspired by the stained-glass windows in that corner of the church, bearing the scars of their repair after the fire.
In short, I love my new office, too. The timing of the move was perfect: Epiphany is a season of manifestation, and the experience of working in a new space has been a surprising gift. In a time when so much engenders despair, I am grateful to be surrounded by the generosity and commitment happening at Holy Apostles throughout the day, every day of the week.
If you are in the church at any point, please stop in and say hello!
Blessings,
