Change

by Brian Waple

Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains. As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice but saw no one! Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink. (Acts 9:1–9, NLT)

If you were to ask most people what they think of change, they would probably say they don’t care for it. Change interferes with our preconceived notions as to how we live, what we think, why we believe, etc. As a person who likes his routine, I don’t much care for change. I see it as an intrusion. I like to know what is happening. I am fairly certain about what I believe, and I have my established pattern. And part of that pattern was what I believed about God and being a Christian for many years.

Without a doubt, Saul was changed. Prior to his encounter with Jesus, he was a Pharisee through and through, firmly grounded in what he believed and completely convinced that these Jesus Christ followers were bad news—bad for the country and bad for Judaism. They were not following the Law and appeared to be encouraging others not to follow the Law. He was incensed and knew he needed to do something to stop them.

But then something happened. God stepped in uninvited on Saul’s journey to Damascus in a dramatic way. Saul had believed this Jesus Christ business was a threat that needed to be stopped. Little did he know that this “threat” would birth in him a burning desire that would completely change his view. For Saul, this change was substantial and immediate.

I, too, had an encounter with Jesus. But for me, rather than dramatic and immediate, my change has been more gradual over the years. Still, I know that God has been and continues to be at the center. Pastor Steve asked Sunday how we have changed personally since accepting Christ. For me, in spite of my desire for control, I have become more willing to give it up (although it’s still hard!). Another area of growth is thinking more of others and seeking to put them first, sitting in silence with them when they’re hurting, or trying to offer an encouraging word when asked.

Change has also come to Elim. There has been dramatic change with the departure of Pastor Martin, the retirement of Cheryl, and the departure of Pastor Brian. It’s been going on for over a year, and although the transition period continues, we know we will have a new senior pastor. But then, suddenly, we are faced with a new, dramatic, and immediate global change that has created a time of safe distancing and masks and virtual services and shuttered church buildings and much less certainty. None of us could have expected this, and no one knows what church will look like moving forward.

With all the uncertainty and questioning brought on by COVID-19, it’s made me stop and ask: Lord, why did this happen now? And what are You doing in this? Could this change be another Damascus moment for me? For the church? What will church look like going forward? What am I being asked to let go of that I hold stongly—beliefs, traditions, structures—in order to make room for God? In what ways do You desire change in me?

Without a doubt, this has been a dramatic intrusion into all of our lives. How we spend this time is important. Do we hold to the status quo like Saul, or do we reflect on different questions:

1. What could the church look like moving forward?
2. What things are we willing to let go of in order to make room for God?
3. What is the change God desires in us? In Elim?

This is a great opportunity for us to draw closer to God and one another as well as prayerfully reflect on what is happening within each of us as we are becoming the people God has created us to be.

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