That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’ When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. (John 21:7, NRSV)
Several years ago, my family and I met up with my dad and stepmother over Christmas vacation at Maplelag, one of the best cross-country ski resorts in the country. I wish it were closer (it’s in western Minnesota and takes at least 11 hours to drive there) because I’ve not been to too many places that do such an expert job of combining rest and physical exertion. Plus there’s a bottomless cookie jar, which is an added bonus.
In addition to going skiing along some great trails, guests also have the opportunity to take the “Polar Plunge.” As you can see from the photo, there’s a hole that’s sawed open on Little Sugar Bush Lake. There used to be a shack/sauna on the lakeshore (I think they had to tear it down for insurance purposes) and it was a tradition to sit in that shack until you couldn’t stand the heat any longer and then run out onto the ice in your skivvies and jump through the hole and into the lake. It seemed to work best with two people so that one person could place the ladder into the hole so the jumper would have something to climb up after experiencing the icy waters. My dad was my Polar Plunge partner.
2019 was a big year of transitions for me personally and professionally. Our children experienced graduations: My daughter went from high school to college and our son made the move from middle school to high school (which is a bigger deal for Chicago students than you might think). Many of you know that I also moved from Lead Pastor of Urban Village Church to Pastor of Emerging Ministries for UVC, which meant, among other things, going from mainly urban ministry to starting the process to possibly starting a new UVC location in the suburbs. It hasn’t always been easy and I found myself on the fence a lot in 2019, wondering what kind of ministry I’m now being called to.
I do know this. I probably spent too much time going back and forth from the sauna to the ladder back to the sauna and never really taking the plunge into ministry, which is unusual for me. So no matter what 2020 has in store, I need to ask some friends to help steady the ladder for me and actually go into the waters, as icy as they may be. I need to follow Peter’s example and jump in. Perhaps this can be a resolution for you, too. May you have the courage, faith, and friends to help you do so.