And So It Goes…

​Way back in the day when I was just out of college, most local TV stations weren’t 24/7. The local NBC affiliate ran local news, Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, and Late Night with David Letterman. After Letterman, they either signed off the air or played old TV reruns and then signed off in the middle of the night.
 
Along comes this late-night TV news show that just killed it for college students, or people like me, who were just getting off work. I watched it every night on a little 12-inch black and white TV with an antenna. No cable—my ex and me. We were living on love back then.  
 
NBC News Overnight was hosted by Linda Ellerbee and a couple of other guys in and out of the partner chair. Linda Ellerbee is awesome! Ground-breaking female anchor. And the show was super-smart because she is super-smart! 
 
She had me at “And so it goes…”
 
They had a routine every night at the close of the broadcast. They would do some cool quirky human-interest story and then Linda would look right into the camera with this inside-joke kinda smirk saying “And so it goes…” 
 
Fade to black.
 
And so it goes…
 
What a great reference!
 
Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. 
 
Sci-fi literature. It’s a classic. Semi-autobiographical and a first-person narrative, it’s the story of a US Army Chaplain’s assistant during WWII—Billy Pilgrim.
 
Billy Pilgrim is constantly dealing with death. Obviously, it’s a way of life during wartime.
And every time somebody dies, Billy Pilgrim says, “And so it goes…”
 
Vonnegut moves through the scenes with it. It’s a refrain. It’s an all-purpose transition. Out with the old, in with the new. It’s about death and then here’s what’s next…
 
And so it goes…
 
I can’t believe it, but next Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent. One week away! It’s the season of reflection, self-inventory, fasting, prayer, doing penance, almsgiving, and self-denial. Repentance. Renewal. This is the time when we “give up something for Lent.”
 
People quit smoking, give up chocolate, count calories or carbs, etc. And people start a new spiritual discipline sometimes too, like daily prayer, or meditation, or study. 
 
People recommit to following Jesus through the journey to the Last Supper (Maundy Thursday), to the cross (Good Friday), and to the resurrection (Easter). The Passion. Where everything in Lent ends—Holy Week. 
 
It’s a season of transition. Letting go of the old ways and adopting new life in Christ.
 
Paul talks about it in 2 Corinthians 5:17--
So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!
 
Everything has become new!
 
Everything old has passed away.
 
And so it goes…
 
Join us in the journey as we read the book Celebration of Discipline this year for Lent. The sermons are about it. The book is all about it—the journey. 
 
Everything becomes new!
Everything old passes away.
That’s my prayer for you this year.
 
Just trying to move the needle a little—maybe a little life change. 
 
And so it goes…
 
Grace & Peace,
Scott