I've been on the social networking site Facebook since 2005. It had just recently switched over from being called “The Facebook.” You needed to have an email address that ended in .edu, which meant it was solely the realm of college students, and not all colleges belonged. Slowly, older folks joined as people with alumni addresses realized that they could join. Little changes were introduced along the way. The site that folks are on today is different than it was in the very beginning. As those changes were introduced, inevitably people complained and said they were going to leave. Most never did of course. Facebook sure has its problems, but it's also become a sort of digital scrapbook/journal sorted by date for folks who have been on the website for a number of years.
Thinking about Facebook got me thinking about a few other moments of change that I've lived through.
Several years ago, I was part of a committee of youth Boy Scouts who were voting to change the embroidered patch (and therefore the logo) that represented our group on our uniforms. I and two or three other scouts had made impassioned pleas about how important and recognizable our current patch, that if we changed it, we wouldn't get the name recognition that we had built up over so many years. We used every technique in the book and our familiarity with Roberts Rules of Order to prolong debate. The conversation in my mind last an hour, but I think it was actually about 30 minutes. At the end, I was exhausted. I was also now in the minority of committee members who were voting against the change. As I drove home from that meeting, I wondered to myself “why did I expend so much energy on something that ultimately did not matter in the grand scheme of things? Was that the best use of my talents and my passion?” As I look back now, I remember my passion for keeping things the way they were, was because a friend of mine hadn't gotten elected to be leader of this committee, and a person that we didn't get along with had won that election. I disagreed with a change because I disagreed with the people who were in leadership. I failed to see the real impact of the change that we were voting on. When we got the new patches in and were going to sell them, I was the first in line to purchase them. Since that moment, I've tried to place myself in the group of people who are strongly in favor of a change and to serve as a champion for change.
So that's one thing Facebook reminded me about. The other thing was something in the memories. Looking back across the years, this day (July 30th) has always been one of transition for me. In 2013, I was moving from the south shore of MA to a town in the suburbs of MA. In 2015, I was in the middle of my move from Massachusetts where I had lived my whole life to Texas. In 2018, I was packing up my apartment in Texas to move to a short term rental, before moving to KS to begin my service with your congregation. In 2020, I will be moving, to serve in another context. There is a certain amount of anxiety on my part. There are so many unknowns.
Our congregation is also in a time of transition. We have our new director of religious education Amanda Nielsen starting on August 1st. Barbara Thompson who has been so ably volunteering in this position is stepping back. I am thrilled to have someone in this position making sure our youth and children are getting the best programming we can offer them. We are saying good bye to our long time office administrator, Jennifer Donnelly, as well. We are in the midst of extending an offer to our chosen candidate for office administrator. There is a new board of directors just getting their feet underneath them. And in 365 days, you will be welcoming a new developmental minister.
In any time of change, anxiety can crop up. That is normal and natural. While of some these transitions in our congregational life may be only happening for the first or second time here, many other congregations have weathered these same changes before. Changes in leadership mean we have new people bringing new perspectives. There's temptation of course to resist change or the flip side of that -change everything all at once. I think adopting an attitude of appreciation of the past, patience for the present, and curiosity for what may come seems best. (Also, wear your name tags on Sunday mornings. It's friendly and helpful for new staff!
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And meanwhile, in the midst of all this change, the work of our congregation continues on. We kick off a brand new congregational year in September (be sure to bring water for our ingathering water ceremony on September 8th) I am glad to be with you on this journey.