Being an old Funk and Fusion musician (I don’t know if the emphasis should be on “old” or “musician”), these words from Buddy Miles are indelibly etched in my memory. “Them Changes” was a fun song for a trombone player. Those were the days.
(If you want to hear Buddy and Santana having some fun with this song click on the video:)
Changes. Transitions. These words are certainly going through my mind these days. The congregation I am about to serve and myself are about to experience a number of changes as we transition into ministry together. Transitions can be difficult for us humans. For some change is frightening, yet for others it is exciting.
For many people the word “change” is equated to the four-letter kind. Many people seem to have a natural aversion to changes in their lives. It could be the rate of change that is the problem or the severity of change that causes difficulty.
Scientists tell us that most of us are “wired” to resist change. They use the 50-cent word, homeostasis, to describe the phenomenon. While I’ve seen evidence that there might be some merit to the scientists’ conclusions, I’m not sure that we are doomed to a rigid, fixed, resistant life.
Jesus bursts on the scene and challenges, even confronts the governmental and religious powers that desired to keep things the same. He said that with him new things are happening, even the Reign of God is at hand, present. And God is always up to something new (see Isaiah 43:16-21; 2 Corinthians 5:17).
We read of many people who encountered Jesus and were changed, transformed, transitioned, if you will, to a new and exciting life. Yet some who met Jesus seemed to be unwilling to change and like a rich, young man went away sad (Mark 10:22); or even worse, the religious elite plotting to kill Jesus rather than change (Matthew 12:14).
Even Jesus’ disciples had difficulty with the changes in their lives after they encountered Jesus. Peter asked the question: “What’s in it for me?” if I’m going to make all these changes (Matthew 19:27). James and John thought they should be rewarded with glory because they had made changes (Mark 10:37).
The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews wrote, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).
Change is one of the great constants in life. Change happens to everyone. People change; relationships change; jobs change; circumstances change; everything changes except Jesus and his love and grace (Hebrews 13:8). Some changes are positive: a new friend, a new house, a financial windfall, a new job, a new community; others are not so positive: a job layoff, a tragic loss, a natural disaster, a damaged relationship.
One thing we can be sure of is that Jesus’ love and forgiveness and amazing grace are forever constant and we can put our faith and trust in him.
As my mind goes through the changes about to take place in my life and in the lives of those in the congregation, I hope we can find excitement in the newness, delight in the journey, thrill in the discovery, and the ever-present love and grace of Jesus.
Thoughts?
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