ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHING
December 7, 2021
A quick show of hands – How many people enjoy unexpected change? The church as an institution is not known for its flexibility and capacity to go with the flow. I am one that will avoid change in most every situation if it is possible. Yet when I think of the desire to stand my ground against change, it doesn’t really sit well with the whole concept of transformation. I’m not the smartest person around, but I’m pretty sure transformation requires change. And as I read the Gospels and the Apostle Paul, transformation on every level – individual, corporate, creation – is rather essential. So how do you maintain the essentials of the faith while also recognizing how true transformation might turn most everything on its head? It is a question I still ponder often without a whole lot of answers. So maybe part of it is trying to hold things in tension while continuing to allow oneself to grapple with what changes and what remains the same. Hebrews reminds us that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. Jesus remains steady, but you and I need to change often if we are going to continue to follow him faithfully in an ever changing world.
Help me cling to the essentials, O God of Unwavering Grace, while allowing those parts of me in need of change to really change. Though a little nervous about what it might entail, I still express my gratitude and praise. Amen.
