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It’s a new year, symbolic of a fresh start. And how many of us see it as a time for change—a time for changing our eating or exercising habits, a time for changing the way we treat family members, a time for changing our habits of prayer and church-going. That’s what New Year’s resolutions are about, after all—changing the things about our lives or ourselves that we don’t like. And by saying that, we are acknowledging that change can be a good thing.
Think of all the changes you’ve been through in your life: going away to college; getting married; having children; watching the children grow up and leave home; retiring. Change is an inevitable part of life. But we have a love/hate relationship with change: change can be exciting and hopeful, but it also means loss and uncertainty. We’ve lost the familiar and comfortable, and we’re afraid of that uncertainty. (I’m reminded of the light bulb joke: How many country and western singers does it take to change a light bulb? Five ... one to change the light bulb and a quartet to sing about how much they long and pine for the old one.) We like to know in advance what any change is going to look like and what it’s going to require of us. But the problem with that, from a Christian perspective, is that it requires no faith. And the Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:7 to “live by faith, not by sight.”
We like to live by sight, don’t we? We want to know that everything will turn out just like we want it to. The fact of the matter is that we don’t really trust God to take care of things for our best interest. But for us to grow in our relationship with God, for us to grow in our faith, we need to learn to walk by faith and not by sight. And that requires that we move forward in the midst of change and uncertainty.
So what are the challenges and changes you are facing in the new year? Maybe your family is going through a time of change, or your job is changing. Maybe you face the challenge of rebuilding a marriage or moving to a retirement community or learning to live with a chronic health concern. Our challenge at First Church is to continue to grow our vital programs of Christian Education and youth ministry, outreach to homebound members, music and mission, while working with a reduced budget; and to prepare for a smooth transition to a new senior pastor. It will require your patience and flexibility, the commitment of your heart, your time and your talents. But I believe that God is always at work, no matter what the changes in our lives, and trusting God through the changes can help us to grow closer to God. Remember these words from Romans: “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (8:28 NIV).
I close with this benediction from Ephesians: “Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (3:20).
Blessings for the Journey,
Pastor Amy
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