A book review by Rev. Tom Greener, Sr. Pastor of St. James UMC -Greenville
The term liminal comes from the Latin limen, the literal threshold of a doorway; the piece of wood that must be crossed and that marks the separation from outside to inside. A liminal season refers to the time between realities, between what was and what will be. Like it’s name sake, a liminal season can be an occasion to trip. It requires attention and focus. It invites us to change location and live differently.
It seems almost cliche to name this moment in time as liminal, and yet it is. If we are not careful; if we do not give attention to the threshold; if we ignore the moment, we are likely to trip. The signs of tripping and anxiety are everywhere around us. Our task as leaders is to “monitor the flow of work and the dynamics of the group,” says Susan Beaumont. She reminds us that while this is a season of anxiety for many, “the right level of anxiety invites [persons] to adapt, to leave the comfort of what was and enter a liminal state.”
How to Lead When You Don’t Know Where You’re Going speaks to the moment and invites leaders of all stripes to engage in the work of liminality. Beaumont calls us to:
- Lead with presence
- Tend to the soul of the institution
- Deepen discernment
- Shape memory
- Clarity purpose
- Engage the new
It is a good resource for individuals and groups to understand this moment and how we can walk through this time.
Parker Palmer tells of the wisdom he gained from an Outward Bound experience: “If you can’t get out of it, get into it.” We are not going to get out of this liminal season, and maybe the call is for us to get into it.