Our safety net FROM THE EDITOR


H


i, friends. First, if I may, a moment of personal priv- ilege. Te publication of this issue is much delayed,


and most of the reasons for this delay are my responsi- bility. I appreciate the grace shown by Te Fellowship’s national board and staff, our advertising partners, as well as you, our members, as I’ve adjusted to a new reality of life being a mom. We will be working to get WorshipArts back on a normal publishing schedule over the next couple of months.


*** Tat actually serves as a nice segue into


the theme of this issue. One of my favorite episodes of a popular


TV series from the early 2000s was titled “Te


Catch.” It featured the main protagonist attempting trapeze lessons, while another character had a not-so-perfect wedding ceremony where just about everything that could possibly go wrong did. While the episode was hilarious, what stuck with me


was the closing line of the episode: “It wasn't the perfect catch. And neither was mine. But I survived because I have a good safety net.” A good safety net. It was meant both literally – the net


that caught the protagonist as she fell multiple times while attempting a “catch” on the trapeze – as well as figuratively. Te friends who “catch” you along the way through


life’s ups and downs serve as a safety net, a good support system. I’ve leaned on my support system more times than I can


count through layoffs and other career challenges, or when I’ve simply needed a sympathetic ear. But, wow, if I ever needed a safety net, it’s been over


these past seven months of becoming a mom. I knew that being a mom was hard. I didn’t fully understand exactly how hard it would be on a physical, mental, and emotional level, though. Since Eleanor’s birth at the end of September, my hus-


band and I have been very fortunate to have the support (even from a distance) of my parents, my in-laws, my sister, and many other family members, friends, and col- leagues as we’ve learned the ins and outs of parenthood, in all of its sleep-deprived glory. We couldn’t have made it these past seven months with-


out our safety net. *** I think many of us could say the same thing about the


safety net that is Te Fellowship as well. Over these past two pandemic years, it’s been the con-


nections between us (even from a distance) that have pro- vided the support we needed, even when we didn’t know we needed it. We’ve shared our highs and lows, offered resources, and even gathered virtually. It’s what #BeTeFellowship is all about. I think that’s what makes the pages of this issue so


powerful. Back in January, we asked Fellowship members to complete a survey about the past two pandemic years. What has stuck with you? What have you learned about yourself? Where have you seen God in all of this? As the editorial committee sorted through the multi-


tude of responses, a clear theme emerged regardless of the question asked: God’s faithfulness was evident through the support of Te Fellowship and its members. It was a safety net and a reminder that, indeed, we are not alone. Now as we prepare to meet in-person again (finally!)


this summer at Music & Worship Arts Week at Lake Junaluska, we look forward to the energy and the excite- ment that gathering with our support system yields. We’ll have the opportunity to reconnect with familiar faces while welcoming new ones into the fold. We’ll once again share and learn from our experiences and join together in worship. And as we do, our safety net will continue to grow even stronger. I think Sue Klein might have summed it up best with


her survey response to what she will take forward from this time: “Continue to trust in the power of prayer, the joy of making music, and the knowledge that God goes with us every step of the way.” We survived because we have a good safety net. Tanks be to God.


Carla Swank Fox Editor carla@umfellowship.org


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January-February-March 2022 • WorshipArts • UMFellowship.org


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