At the time of writing, a sense of yet more adjustment pervades me, deciding what to keep of the old and take to the new. Not for the first time this year, I find myself reflecting on 2 Corinthians, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"

However, perhaps refreshingly, this impending new normal is not Covid related.

I am writing this as preparations are made for a new-look Admin Team at Church House, replacing the dedicated, but administratively isolated, functions previously in place, to better support the work we do in our parishes and schools, and all they do in support of <em>Transforming Church Transforming Lives.</em> We seek for the new model to offer more collaboration, greater efficiency and fewer silos across all our work in serving our parishes, chaplaincies and schools from Church House.

Was there anything very wrong with the old? No, not really; it worked perfectly well. But perhaps sometimes that prevents us from attempting something bigger. Just as Abraham took up a challenge of moving away from his own comforts, considered the change and the pain and decided that the blessings were worth it, I hope that we will all see the blessings in this new team and the positive change it brings. But the shift actually makes it even more imperative that we keep the old – the knowledge, experience and relationships – and that these are shared for the good of all.

So really, “The old has gone, the new is here!" is not quite true – and shouldn’t be. As I sit here, procrastinating over a flow chart, Jeremiah is with me instead; ‘For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ And perhaps we can apply that to Covid, too.