Change

Frankly Speaking…

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

“Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he’s the one who will keep you on track.”
—Proverbs 3:5–6 (The Message)

Friends,

On the way to Orlando, Florida, with our youth group, I came across a billboard that caught my attention. I believe it advertised a Christian women’s university in Louisiana. I asked those in my van to write it down. There was no paper or pen to be found. So, I went on the walkie-talkie and made what may have been the most ridiculous request of the trip: “Would someone write this down for me?” (Believe me, I will take that request to my grave.) Later, I was reminded that I could have simply had one of the youth text the words to my phone—thus fulfilling my request. Enough said.

These were the words on that billboard:
“Embracing the Future, Honoring Tradition.”

It has often been said there are two things in life that are certain: death and taxes. I believe there are really three. The third is change. Change can be radical and immediate, or it can be slow and evolutionary. Nevertheless, change happens. Many of us have lived long enough to witness great strides in medicine, automobiles, space travel, communication, music—and the list goes on. I remember gasoline costing 19 cents a gallon and groceries for a family of eight costing $100 for the month. I could give more examples of what “it used to be like.” So could you. What has remained constant—unchanged throughout human history—is God’s love, manifested through Christ, and God’s Word. How that Word is proclaimed has changed.

Friends, I first wrote these words in August of 2008. And here we are again—because change still happens. It happens when clergy receive a new appointment, when retirement begins, when loved ones move away, or when children grow up and the home becomes an “empty nest.” Change happens. What remains constant is God, God’s Word, and God’s desire for a life-enhancing relationship with us.

Years ago, a prayer was lifted that said, “Some of us are grown, some are growing. But what will happen with the gifts we give will be miraculous.” I find myself lingering on that word—miraculous. Because miracles do happen. God has created—and is still creating—life. My hope is that all will be connected to the Giver of Life. My hope is that all will want to be part of worship each Sunday: to hear God’s Word proclaimed, to be moved by the music played by Catalin, to join the voices from the pews proclaiming the God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—holy, amazing, and still at work. I pray that we pray daily for one another. And I pray that everyone who enters our doors finds both a place of rest and a place to grow in the grace of God.

See you Sunday—and expect something miraculous to happen.

Blessings from Pottsboro, Pastor Frank
(alegria@lakewayumc.org)