CHANGE
There is a time for everything! What time is it in your life? What time is it in
this church’s life? What time is it in our nation’s life?
As many of you know, last week I dropped my only child off at college for the
first time. It was a lot more difficult than I imagined. Everything is changed.
The house is quieter, my mom duties have disappeared and I’m left staring at
my husband wondering “what’s next for us? What time is it in our
relationship?”
The week before that, we were in New York with my family celebrating my
mother’s 80th birthday. It was a wonderful week filled with love and laughter,
but also we all became aware of my father’s failing health. It seems that he has
been experiencing mini-strokes and we’re all quite concerned about when the
next one will hit and will he be able to come out of it, like he seems to do with
these mini-strokes.
Of course we’ve also experienced a significant move and new employment. All
these changes have shaken the earth we stand on. Some days I feel like I’ve
lost my balance as my world shifts, some days I brace myself and hold on until
the shaking stops.
As I’ve aged, I am realizing that nothing is certain in this world- except change,
and of course, God’s enduring love through it all. Many of you have shared
significant changes in your lives, some happy, some sad. In this congregation
there have been births, and deaths. (Death is the grand-daddy of change.) We
have parents who are moving into their children’s homes or care facilities. Our
children are moving on to live their own lives in the workplace or school.
Illnesses hit us unexpectedly and all our priorities shift. Some of us have
downsized, some are looking for work, and some of you are retiring from
meaningful work that has helped define you for decades. Change is
unavoidable. The world changes and so do our lives.
One thing that I found that does not change is love. Love is the one constant
that I can hold onto as the Boegli’s make another shift in life. Love for God,
God’s love for us and our love for one another is the constant through all of
life’s twists and turns.
Today marks the end of my 90 day listening tour. As many of you know, I’ve
set aside the past three months to listen to you. I have listened to your
concerns and desires for this church. I have heard some of you share your
stories and I’ve been trying to gain a grasp of what it is you’re looking for in
me, as your new spiritual leader of this congregation.
One of the things that I’ve come to realize is that the church congregation has a
life of its own, much like our individual lives. The church congregation
experiences the same kinds of changes that we all experience in life. We have
births and we have deaths. We have illnesses. We have shifts in our family
structure, family finances, family dynamics. We have some people moving
away and some people moving in. The church congregation also goes through
it’s own twists and turns over the course of its life, because nothing, but God’s
love, stays the same.
Now what does that mean for you and I today? Our scripture tells us that there
is a time for everything under the sun. Battle Ground Community United
Methodist Church has had a time of loss, and several changes in leadership
over just a few years. What time is it here, with us now? Is it a time to plant or
pluck up what is planted? Is it a time to break down, or a time to build up? A
time to keep or a time to throw away? A time to keep silent or a time to speak?
What time is it for you and I in this community of love?
I think that this is the first thing we must do together – define what time it is
for us as a beloved community of Jesus Christ. After worship today, we’re
going to talk about mission and vision and values at our book club. You’re all
welcome to join the conversation, even if you didn’t read the book. We’ll be
talking about as a church what do we do and why we do we do it. We’ll be
talking about how we do what we do and what things draw our attention most
significantly. In essence, we’ll be talking about what time it is for this church
family.
It’s good to be intentional about where we want to go. In some ways,
sometimes, we have a say in what time it is. As Ken and I are staring at one
another, wondering what’s next for us now that our child is off to school, we
have an opportunity to shape our relationship and our days in a way we want.
We can intentionally decide how we want to spend our time together – or we
can choose to not be intentional about our relationship and just see what
comes next.
Battle Ground Community United Methodist Church is also facing a time to
either be intentional about what’s next, or just see what comes next. I’m a bit
of a control freak so I opt for the intentional pattern of decision making,
intentional with the guidance and nudges of the Holy Spirit, that is.
Who will we become? What will we do as we gather together and why are we
doing it? I believe that a thriving and vital Christ centered community is
rooted in God’s love. God’s love for us, our love for God and our love for one
another, as well as our love for all those beyond these walls. Change happens.
It’s inevitable. But love remains, love always remains.
My prayer is that as things begin to shift around here, we’ll all be able to cling
to the love of God to help us through another transition. I pray that as we
reflect back on all the places this community has been, we see evidence of
God’s love holding us together year after year. And finally I pray that as we
move into the future, we will keep our hearts focused on Love and may we let
that love guide us and bind us together as we embark on a new journey
together.