Ch-ch-ch-changes!

Photo by Hans Thijs

There’s an old song by David Bowie called “Changes.” (Watch YouTube here) Part of the lyrics go: “Time may change me, but I can’t trace time.” There is some dispute over what he means by these lyrics but I think he’s explaining that changes happen in time but he doesn’t understand why they have to happen. Change is a part of life. One of the few things you can be sure of in this life is that things are going to change. How we handle change can determine our outlook on life.

The apostle Paul was a man used to change. He started out a Christian killer then changed to a Jesus cheerleader. He had to be flexible. He wrote a good portion of the New Testament dealing with problems associated with early church plants. Paul rolled with the changes and allowed God to move through it all. You never saw Paul fighting against change. He always looked for God to reveal new opportunities through the changes.

I love the book of John. In John 17, Jesus is praying what is called his high priestly prayer. In this passage, Jesus prayed for unity but assumed growth would happen. Jesus knew that change was going to happen. He prayed for us to be unified through the changes, carrying his kingdom to people who have never heard the message.

Here we are. We are Vintage Church. We are a four year old church plant. We are in the midst of a time of great change and stretching. God’s activity in our midst is evident. It is so easy to dislike change: things like community groups multiplying and gatherings changing days, times, and locations seem to be the norm. All this change is so inconvenient and uncomfortable. It could be easy to get negative. But, that’s why Jesus prayed for unity in John 17. He prayed for us that we would be unified through all the changes it takes to advance his kingdom.

We must remember why we are Vintage Church: to live the gospel, love the city, and be the church. Many times, change and discomfort are a part of carrying out our mission. I’m excited about being part of the Vintage Church family and going through the changes with you!