Keep the Change
One of my favorite Peanuts comic strips has Charlie Brown, with one of those quizzical looks on his face, saying: "Change wouldn't be so bad if things didn't have to be different."
That quote comes to mind as we face the changes associated with adding a second worship service this Sunday. This is an exciting time for our church, as we make a much-needed move to alleviate the over-crowded conditions in our worship services. But it also brings change--and that means some things will be different.
No doubt, change can be a hard thing. At one time the Duke of Cambridge is reported to have said, "Any change at any time for any reason is to be deplored." That sounds like the old saying, "Come weal, come woe, my status is quo." Such an attitude can be deadly in any setting, especially in the church.
No one likes to be pushed out of their comfort zones, or shaken from our routines. Even the pioneers eventually become settlers. Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, "People wish to be settled; only as far as they are unsettled is their any hope for them." Maybe there's hope for us after all.
For some of us, the change to two services will inevitably unsettle us a bit. There may be some inconveniences, there will be some bumps in the roads, and I'm sure something will come up that we haven't even considered. But this change is necessary, and in the end, it will be good for our church.
For one, this is an issue of faithfully managing the resources God provides for us. As such, this move allows us to basically double our worship space, at no additional cost. Until we find or build a permanent location--and we have been actively exploring our options for a new building for a while now--these warehouses on George Roy Parkway are where the Lord has us and we need to be the best stewards possible of this space.
Another advantage of two services is that it allows us a second option for worship, that will be attractive to those who for whatever reason prefer an earlier worship time. But the main reason for this change is, it allows us more space to reach our community. This is not just about comfort for those of us who are already here, it is about providing room for those whom we have not even met yet, that the Lord is going to lead our way as we reach out to our neighbors, make disciples and live out the Great Commission to our communities.
So we face this change with excitement, and with much prayer, that God will have His way with us, His people. I can't wait to see what He has in store for us, and I can't wait to see you on Sunday.
--Pastor Ken
]]
