Reorganized! Can you Tell?
Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008Did some thinking last night about renewing and reorganizing the blog. So here it is! Can you tell the difference?
Probably not.
I am intending it that way. Our society is very image conscious. We look primarily at the form of things and the packaging. You want to renew your product in the marketplace? Don’t change it, just change the name, or change the package. Put out a new ad or begin a new advertising campaign. It sounds kind of silly, but companies do it because it works.
The other thing we can get caught up in doing is changing structure or role titles. Corporations somehow buy the idea that comes from consultants that a new chart, or a new name for the same job will actually make things better and smoother. You don’t change the people or how they actually do the job, but a new name makes everything better. That too sounds kind of silly, and we who are in management find ourselves caught in the trap.
The Church is not immune to that. We change titles and structures and try new church growth programs thinking that is the answer. We then find it doesn’t really work so we think that we need to keep on trying new things and changing things until we somehow find the right package for the church and the ministry.
I think we get caught in that trap because what is really needed in our churches and our spiritual lives is deep down transformation, we could even call it conversion. We have to change the way we view our reality and we have to surrender our lives to be changed by God’s transforming Spirit. We have to allow God to change the substance of our lives.
I’ve been doing a lot of study in the enneagram lately. One of the biggest things that comes through my reflection on that tool is how all pervasive the ego is – the Sin Self that wants to remain in control. All the change in forms and packages and images are all things that the ego can maintain control over. They are all activities that we can spend money and time and energy on which on the one hand fools us into thinking we are doing something good, but on the other hand fools us into thinking we doing something good. (think about that a moment)
The Spirit is always calling us to go past the package and find in the depths of our soul the still small voice of God inviting us to a daily faithfulness. God doesn’t want spectacle. God wants our living.
So my reorganization of the blog will not be a change in the look, but comes as a new commitment on my part to have these writings be a part of my daily faithfulness. If anything, I want to be more focused on what is the substance of Abundant Life that God is calling us each to be a part of.
