In the late fall of 2017, my wife and I started building our “dream house” on land we purchased a few years earlier. I am blessed to have had a fair amount of experience in construction and repair, and I had willing helpers from the congregation and community, so I was able to participate in most aspects of the construction. It would be easy to wax nostalgic about that experience and gloss over the challenges, especially looking back after a few years..
But, if I am honest with myself, there were a fair number of setbacks, adjustments, and outright frustrations in the process of building and creating our home. Some of those challenges were beyond my control, some were entirely of my own making, and others were some combination of those elements. A problem that was at least partially my making was that we got a late start on the house plans. (I remember pouring over those plans at the General Assembly that summer.) That meant I didn’t start construction until around Thanksgiving. We did complete most of the framing before the cold and snow of winter, but the house wasn’t “dried in.” So, when the snow came, I had to bundle up and shovel snow out of the house, which would have been MUCH worse if it was finished! Mapping out the plumbing and electrical presented different challenges, as did attempting to do much of the work on my own. (There is another story there for a later date…)
Fast forward to 2024, six years after shoveling snow out of my daughter’s unfinished bedroom, I am in the midst of remodeling our laundry room and a half bath in our house here in Illinois. As I opened up a wall for new hookups for the washer and dryer, I discovered a problem that I hadn’t anticipated. Right where I was planning to have the hookups for the washer was a post supporting the load of the 2nd floor. After a few moments, the initial frustration wore off and I was able to course-correct and move the project forward. I found myself longing for the “simplicity” of a construction project over the remodeling project I was (and am) in the middle of.
In most, or at least many, of our churches today, we are faced with a remodeling project. I’m not the first person to say that we are in a season of great change and transformation in the church. In her book from almost 20 years ago, The Great Emergence, Phyllis Tickle looks over the history of Christianity and shows readers that we are in the midst of a period of reformation. She illuminates how these seasons of radical transformation happen about every 500 years. In each of these instances, there has been a dramatic shift in the wider culture, which necessitates an adaptation in the church.
While it might seem “easier” to start from scratch rather than face the unexpected post in the wall, I am committed to the challenging and exciting work of reformation, remodeling, and transformation. I believe working to faithfully transform our churches in a way that is relevant to what our world so desperately needs today AND in a way that honors the faithfulness of the many generations of believers before us is holy work. That holiness does not mean there will not be challenges along the way. But remember, we are not doing this alone. God’s spirit is with us, and we are all part of a community of believers with access to all the gifts and talents we need to thrive in “such a time as this!”
When you encounter one of those challenges or opportunities to find a creative solution, I pray you will reach out to me or to any of the regional staff. We truly want to be a resource for you as you strive to faithfully follow God’s call on your life and on the life of the church. Let’s lean into this season of reformation, restructuring, and remodeling with confidence in the guidance of God’s Holy Spirit!