Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I’m wearing green – how about you? And after a winter such as we have had, that green is a precious promise of spring. A promise of fresh green grass, new lettuce and peas in the pod. This is also the season of pledge campaigns, a plea and a hope for plentiful funds and healthy budgets. I don’t think the timing is coincidence.

Spring is a time of stirring and growth, of movement and hope. My church budget, my curriculum plan, my garden and indeed my life – all will do so much better with preparation, planning and inputs at just the right time. Yet I need to keep asking, is that budget, faith development program, garden or whatever looking at potential and not just maintenance?

I have a strong need for structure and planning, so this spring I will be mindful of mission as I plant my garden and budget my time and finances. Within that container of mission there is space for experimentation and risk-taking without abandoning all of what feeds my soul and body. Diversity and adaptation are the keys to thriving in the long run, so plant your UU church garden and program within that raised bed of mission and value. Hope and pray for adequate sun and rain, but sow with an eye to trying something new and different. How cool is it that every year we get another chance to grow!

Karen LoBracco Lifespan Faith Development Consultant for Ohio Meadville and St. Lawrence Districts