change

Summer if officially over and fall is finally here. But, today it was 88 degrees in Music City and I am wondering what in the world is going on around here. Except for a few fallen leaves in my front yard there is no sign of fall and I, for one, am looking forward to a change in seasons.

Change. Boy, have we heard that a lot lately! We need change. Change we can believe in. Change now. Even in little bitty Lebanon, TN, one of the candidates for mayor has “It’s time for a change” on his signs. Change what? Change how? Change when? Change whom? And is change a good thing? I guess it is how you look at it.

We live in a society today where change occurs all of the time. If you don’t like something, get rid of it and get something else. Something new. Something exciting. Don’t like your cell phone? Get a new one. Don’t like your car? Trade it in on a new one. Don’t like your husband? Divorce him and get a new one. Don’t like your friend? Drop him and get a new one. Don’t like your church? Leave and find a new one. Change. It is easy. It is quick. But is it the best thing to do???

I have been working the past 6 months with the youth group at Western Hills as we have been searching for a new youth minister. Our former youth minister quit and the search committee has been prowling and searching for a replacement. One that will be a good fit for our congregation and for the kids. We have planned a fall retreat that will take place in a couple of weeks. We came up with the theme “change” and we are having some really cool shirts printed up for it. Solid black. White print, simple block font. On the back it says, “It is time for REAL change.” On the front it says, “J”, and under it, “The Christ.”

For you see, Jesus IS change. He is a life changer. He is a relationship changer. He is a church changer. He is a marriage changer. He is a world changer. He came to change this world and to throw it upside down. He came to shake things up. He came to change the way we do things and how we look at things. It is real change. It is life changing. It is a way to put us on the path that will help change the world. It is a change that others will see. It is change others will feel. It is change others will notice. It is change others will want. And it might be change that some will be afraid of when they see it (attacking Satan’s strong hold is a bold thing to do).

So, how about you? Are you ready for some change around here? If you are, it starts with you and the Man who is calling you. And me. Us. Are you ready? Change can be painful at times. Change can be radical too. Change can even be uncomfortable. It starts with 1 person. Then another. Then another. Slowly. Patiently. Convincingly. Then it becomes a following. Then a movement. Then a revolution.

The call has sounded. Are you in? You are either part of the change or part of the problem. Think about it.

TR