change

we recently announced some major changes taking place in our church; in a couple of months we will make the move to unite our two churches under one name. we will no longer be named The Church of Wrigleyville or citichurch, instead both communities will be known as Missio Dei. (more on the name at a later time)

this announcement caught a number of people off guard (deer in the headlights!), as any significant change usually does, and it got me thinking about change.

for some reason we are leery of changes (myself included!), and yet i have begun to think that change is something that GOD not only helps us through, but something that HE wants for us on a continual basis, and something that HE will often force us into.

here is the deal:

- change causes us to learn full dependence on HIM.

when we are faced with the option of trusting GOD and trusting something else, we will almost always go with the latter. it is just our sin nature. we are infatuated with the here and now, what we can taste, smell, see, etc. sometimes GOD causes change to show us how temporal all those other things are, and thus learn complete and total dependence on HIM. it is called trust.

- change causes us to listen to HIS voice.

remember when GOD told Abraham to go, but HE didn't tell him where? Abraham was forced into a constant state of change. this caused Abraham to learn to listen for the voice of the FATHER. for he was to be guided by that VOICE and that VOICE alone.

- change brings something new.

GOD is always doing something new, something fresh.  there is a verse in Isaiah that i love (chapter 43 i think), where GOD says HE will do a new thing. that springs will bubble up in the desert and that HIS work will always be brought forth. i am always looking forward to the next thing GOD is doing. HE is always wanting to work is HE not?

- change is evidence of relationship.

people or churches that don't change are often  married to tradition. tradition breeds ritual and regimentation.  conversely, relationships are always liquid. evolution and change within relationship is always necessary, therefore change is evidence of relationship. i want to be in intimate relationship with GOD. i want to always be evolving in the rhythms of knowing HIM. ritual and regimentation is for the religious, not for those who are bound to GOD with the singular desire of knowing HIM.

my two cents...

may GOD bring us change always, 

j