I’m putting this “Brite side” together a bit ahead of time, as the normal submission deadline to Martha Harris (thank you, Martha!) will be when I’m coming back from taking my favorite youngest daughter to college out in New Jersey.  It’s a significant rite of passage when such things occur, so I expect to be pretty soggy with angst and nostalgia on my drive back and for a time to come.

Life is full of such rites of passage; from birth to death we measure time not only by the days and years, but also by the significant occurrences.  The first steps, first day of kindergarten, et.al., first date, first job, first days of high school and college, marriage, children of your own, etc., the cycle repeating for newer generations.  The cycle of life is a beautiful thing and a sad thing; God made us to be born, to grow and learn, and then to die, and hopefully the growing and learning results in being born anew in the Kingdom, eternally.

The resurrected Christ said in the book of Revelation, “Behold, I make all things new.”  But newness of life is not just a cyclical thing; it’s a reality that, if we’re open to it, can refresh and revitalize.  It does, however, require change and adjustment, flexibility and patience.  If one insists on practicing old ways simply because they’re the comfortable ones, it’s harder for the newness to come in.

One of the issues our Transition Team is wrestling with is:  How do we transform to bring new life into the community of FCC while, at the same time, keeping folks happy with what already is?  It’s requiring a lot of prayer and discernment on our part, and the Team is asking for such from you as well.

I’d like to see YOU on Sunday,

Bob