Coping with Change - Susan Barnes
“You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings” John 8:31 NLT
When I was a child my family regularly went to local football matches. I learnt a lot about the game, the players and even the other teams. As the years passed, I lost interest but then I had children. I found my boys were becoming interested in football so I started taking more notice. However, during the years when I wasn’t paying attention, there were some major changes to the game. It had become a national competition and new interstate teams were now playing. I felt annoyed - why did they have to change?
Why did it bother me? I no longer went to the football, I barely took any notice, so why should I care if it changed?
During those early years of watching football, I gained a lot of knowledge about the game and as long as the game didn't change, I could still use that knowledge without putting in any time or effort. I could stay on the peripheral and yet know what was going on. But when the game changed, the knowledge I had was useless.
Often in churches, we find a similar thing happening. People on the peripheral get annoyed because the church has transformed, presenting the gospel in a more relevant manner to attract younger believers. Perhaps they went to church years ago, or as a child, and learnt the traditions. Upon their return, they find the traditions they were used to, gone. Sadly, they often leave church altogether, rather than being thankful and trying to connect with the breath of new life and future younger believers bring to the body.
While outward forms of worship change, God and His word always remains constant. We are truly His disciples if we remain faithful, not to our traditions, but to Jesus’ teaching and our Fathers desire that none perish.
Susan Barnes - pursuing a life worth writing about. Contact | 
