
Isn’t that how change in the church seems to work though? I mean true change - transformation, even. When the Spirit moves us in a direction she is inevitably much faster than our beloved congregational polity. It is a perpetual dance of innovation and tradition, leaping toward the new while honoring the timeless. I believe it was exactly what Prez. Dorhauer was saying; that it is time; that we have everything we need to faithfully move toward what we don’t know, to let go of that which no longer serves, to propel and move closer to the coattails of the Holy Spirit as she urges us, loudly, to follow her toward the mission of the church. We have everything we need. I know, at times, it doesn’t look like it. I know, at times, it doesn’t feel like it. But we do, we really, really, do have everything we need. Your finance committee is going tell you that you don’t have enough money, but you do. Your property committee is going to tell you that you don’t have enough space, but you do. Your outreach committee is going to tell you that you don’t have enough people and your pastoral relations committee is going to tell you that you don’t have enough time - but my friends, you do.
If God is urging us, which God most certainly is doing, to catch up to what the church is becoming, God is asking that BECAUSE we have everything we need! How do I know? I know because nothing is impossible with God! We are not supposed to be able to do it all by ourselves my friends, we are a people of faith! We do all things through God. Let me ask you a tough question: if we only do the things that we know for sure we can do, then what do we need God for? We must leave room for God to do that which we can’t even imagine! We must leave room for Grace and Holy Spirit and Faith. We have everything we need, my beloved church, to become everything God needs us to be in this beautiful, crazy, broken world.
Author

Holly Norwick
The Rev. Holly Norwick is pastor of the First Christian Congregational Church in Swansea.