CHANGING in the Potter's hand

recently one lump ruminated about the increasing changing nature of lumps. he raised some interesting observations. however, this isn't really a new discussion. just something people are thinking about more as our group has been growing. different people view change differently. some embrace it. some shudder at it. some feel hazy about how it correlates to their spiritual future. these thoughts bring different questions...

* just how do we view change and our current relationships which can be affected?
* is it worth investing in a church or fellowship group (e.g. membership or service) if you are personally about to go through a change?
* is it better to hold back until we know that we're really settled in for the long haul?

i've considered all of this since i've been around lumps practically since it's foundation. been considering it more as i've seen people go. thinking about it even more so as i've been going through a personal change, myself.

well, here's a passage which really struck a chord with me a while back in my study of psalms...

"Lord, make me to know my end,
And what is the extent of my days,
Let me know how transient I am.
Behold, Thou hast made my days as handbreadths,
And my lifetime as nothing in Thy sight,
Surely every man at his best is a mere breath
Surely every man walks about as a phantom..."
Psalm 39:4-6

basically the author of this psalm is breaking it down, really focusing on how transient and temporary life is. at our best we are mere breaths. he realizes an extent to his days. in the bigger scheme of things we are just blowing by in the wind.

too often people get caught up or deluded into thinking about permanence. we get our perspective stalled on the worldly, earthly level and lose sight of the bigger picture. we don't think too much of the 'importance' of the earthly moment in comparison to the larger longer eternal heavenly scheme of things. i believe particularly in light of this passage, that this mentality is a narrow-minded trap, which can prevent us from truly living to the extent to how god would have us live for him.

so what if you don't know where you'll be in two years, two months, or even two weeks? (i'm actually open now to the possibility that i will leave the bay area for a long time in two weeks, relocating somewhere else.) in god's perspective our entire lives are transient and extremely short. you also never know what god may bring into your life or where circumstances may bring you. if there isn't really a long-haul to really live for on earth, so then what do we do? particularly when we do find ourselves in the midst of 'transistion' here?

i think the psalmist nails it with his next verse.

"And now, Lord, for what do I wait?
My hope is in Thee." v. 7

our time perspective needs to firmly centered around our hope in god. it's a paradigm shift from thinking about what's really momentary, to what's really eternal. don't bother waiting for that right 'lasting moment' in our lives to live for god, b/c that in itself is somewhat of an oxymoron (an impossibility). that moment to fully live however you can for god is now.

take full advantage of the potential in relationships around you now. be committed and serve now in your church or fellowship. don't make how you live for god in relation to the body dependent on tomorrow.

i've seen firsthand through short term missions to see how brief contact with people, working for his kingdom, can make a world of difference in people's lives. i've also seen the lives of some lumps who were on their way out and continued to make big impacts on new people.

we should not be dismayed or saddened because community may change around us. that's the norm. it would be much sadder if we all clumped together, grew up old, and died together. yes, the dynamics of our community will be definitely be changing this year. it's not something to grieve over. rather, i think we can celebrate and embrace the change, realizing all of the potential it can bring for those people who continually live centered on a hope in the lord. will you be one of them?

posted by gw at 12:49 AM