What's new

So I havne't posted in over a month. The last post I had written got lost as I tried to post it and- kablam- it was gone- lost forever and I didn't feel like writing it up again. And I only have the "web" at work, so blogging happens there- which means that when my church is REALLY busy moving from one place to another, and I get a fire lit under my butt and start working more than i have before on many things around the new place, I don't have time to blog. But today i was in helping with some odd jobs, and my wife was here helping to do a "spa day" with the young girls in our church- so I'm now HIDING from them to keep them from doing make-up on me.

I don't know what to think- i really don't. I am wrestling today again with change. and where I now reside.

Don't get me wrong, I love this place, i love the people here in lancaster county, but... Well, let's put it this way- most people are opposed to change. It's natural human instinct- we don't like things to be different. However, people here are not only opposed to it, but they actively OPPOSE it- they go out and try to keep change from happening. Now, i'm not calling everyone this, but let's be honest- we're right next to the amish country- if EVER there was an example of people who oppose change, it's them. And so maybe not everyone is amish, but many people have similar mindsets.

Anyway, there have been a lot of changes in our church as of late- we moved from one facility to another, we've been growing by leaps and bounds... etc, etc. When i got here 11 months ago, the church was averaging about 85 per service- now we scarcely drop below 150... We have doubled the amount of space that we rent and moved to a better place- with higher ceilings, new equipment, etc, etc- everything that goes with change and moving for a church.

and yet, there are people in this church who would be happier if we hadn't moved- if we stayed where we were in the place where we had terrible sound, 7 1/2 foot ceilings, cramped space- all that. because they would like the church to stay just them- and the people who were here before. They're not as big into new people here, they're not as big into a lot of stuff- and let's be honest, these people are not as big into me being here as they might say- it's going to take me a long time before they TRULY accept me, but... i'm willing to stay as long as i'm allowed. (for now)

These people are certainly not the majority of the church. They are not even a major minority- they're a handful of people from my best guess (not that i know who they all are, but because it's always the small group who try to make a stink about this stuff). But they are trying to make things happen concerning the majority. See, this church was started with them in mind as the focus group- young adults- the people who are supposed to step up and become the CHURCH- not let a bunch of 80 year olds make decisions for them. and now they're still relatively young, but they are not the focus of the church anymore because many are slowly growing out of that age group into the next one up- early parents- not quite middle age, but... and i'm sure it's killing them...

but, what i'm really writing about here is selfishness. When someone's focus is on me, i'm fine- things can happen, whatever. But when i'm not the center anymore and i can see that this is become the shift- i'm expected to put someone else at the center and join those who are around ministering to them- forget it- i'll just sit here and gripe about what happened and wish that i could be the center again- or for those who vehemently resist change, they will go out and try to make themselves the center again.

So... I dunno how to end this. Anyone else have any thoughts on this? anyone else who thinks about this stuff, or wants to comment? whatever...