What do you think?

This is the February newsletter article that I wrote. This is my heart and I felt it needed to be said.


Change Change Change

A few weeks ago, I was talking to my grandmother and we started discussing church. We talked about how it was hard for different generations to gel on some issues. One of the biggest issues is music. My grandpa is one that loves the “good ‘ole” hymns of the church and nothing else. The newer songs are just too fast or too hard to follow and he doesn’t know the words. However, I knew those weren’t the real answer as to why he didn’t like the newer choruses. Then, without having to tell her that I knew why, she told me the answer herself. As they were watching T.V. a word popped up on the screen and grandpa said, “I really don’t like that word at ALL”. After having lived on this earth for over 80 years, I guess you have a right not to like this word. What was the word? Change.
The new thing in our denomination is church planting which is taking a few strong members of the congregation and starting a new branch off of the old church. To be real honest with you, that bothers me a little bit. Why does that bother me? Well, I feel that when you get to the core of why pastors all across our denomination are starting churches off of the old ones is that older churches will not change. If you haven’t noticed, that little hand on the clock never stops ticking (unless the batteries are dead). There is a saying that says, “You can never go home again”. You can go home again but it will never be the same as when you left it. Time marches on. Things change and people change. I am not calling for change just for change sake. I am calling for change for growth sake. Not numbers on Sunday morning or Wednesday night. Not in the amount of tithes and offerings. Spiritual growth.
We say that we want to grow and that is our hearts desire, but what are we doing about it? Are we willing to change some of the traditions and open ourselves up to the surrounding communities? Shiloh is an amazing church. We have so many people with amazing hearts, and hearts that I believe are serving God. However, if there was one word that could describe the overall feeling that I get from our congregation it would be comfortable. We are too comfortable to change, myself included. We like the way we do things and they are always done well. We have good services and Sunday school is attended well. The sermons are always good and I always enjoy when the choir sings! Still, I have been here for over a year and a half and this is a question that lies at the center of this letter: how many new people have came to Shiloh and stayed? I can count maybe 10.
So what should we do? Am I saying that we need to dramatically change everything at Shiloh? By no means. The saying goes, “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” but if it is broke…do something about it! My heart is that God will bring our church together and we will collectively get sick and tired of the same old same old. I know that you are comfortable, but are you comfortable with the people around us not hearing the message of Christ? Are you comfortable with them not going to heaven? Are you comfortable enough to just sit back and leave your spiritual life on cruise control until you get to heaven? This letter might be youthful idealism. Or it might be God calling us all to wake up because our hearts are filled with apathy and complacency. You say, “We are too busy to really commit to this or to that” well that boils down to priorities. I know that there are many things in your lives that are pulling you but I also know that we have plenty of time for the things that we really want to do, I know this because I am guilty of it. We get upset because the music isn’t the way we like it or the sermon went to long, but let me let you in on a little secret. The worship leaders and Pastor John, as well as I, spend time in prayer and preparation to get the music and sermon done for Sunday mornings. Did you spend time in prayer and preparation for the music and sermon or did you just come into church like you were coming into McDonald’s trying to figure out what you wanted that day?
Change is going to come. Either we will be a part of it, or we won’t be around to see it happen. Change is not always good, but it is not always bad either. Shiloh is full of love and compassion and I feel we need to share that with those around us. Change for change sake is not what Christ calls us to; he calls us to change for spiritual growth sake.

Show me your glory.