Floating in Change

If you heard the Quincy Jones version, or the recording by Nina Simone or Frank Sinatra, you’d remember the song. One of my favorite Sundays here occurred earlier this year when dear Aimee Zahara sang “Everything Must Change”. I said at the time that “I have a love-hate relationship with this song. I love the song but I’m not terribly fond of its subject matter.”

I might not be alone in that regard. We at UCNI are facing change in a big way. As I explained in my letter to you in April, Susan and I will be saying goodbye in the foreseeable future. So, we at UCNI are faced with change big time. For our part, the prospect of saying goodbye to Unity Church of North Idaho is hard for us.

We have developed some wonderful relationships here, and many of us have grown so deeply together. I have this recurring vision of driving away from this church for the last time and crying all the way to Montana as I recall the loving friends… talking with our young ones after Sunday School…. the cute little mischievous scamps who every Sunday raise their hands when I ask if “there are any newcomers here today”…. and the dear friends saying goodbye with one final hug. That’s where my mind goes when I think of leaving. So, that’s some of the hard part for us.

Changing ministers is a major change for a church community. I have seen countless examples where people were at each other’s throats as the minister left. The change here at UCNI is remarkable in that I have noticed nothing but ease and grace. Sadness, of course, and some emotion. But the understanding and the love overshadow the sadness.

Change is good too. There is always an opportunity in changing times and circumstances. We have opportunities to grow and open up to new possibilities. I’m really looking forward, for example, to visiting you in a few years and seeing the manifestation of our vision! I can’t wait to see the new sanctuary and the new playground! I’m looking forward to seeing if you choose to build the 500 seat theatre or gymnasium we talked about as service facilities for the CdA community.

I’m looking forward to hearing your individual stories of transformation and spiritual growth… and to see, in five years, what you’ve become. I’m looking forward to seeing who your new minister is going to be. If we all stay open, releasing our preconceived notions of what we think a minister should look and sound like, God is going to send the most ideal person here.

Change becomes very very hard when, coming from our intellectual side, our memories, our ego, we think we know what should happen. That thought process actually closes us off from the God Process. It’s real good to “not know”, as Eastern masters teach. Rather, the way through changing circumstances is to “let go and let God”, to totally release and look with wonder and awe as the new circumstances develop.

Susan and I are clueless where we’re going. We’re just totally open to the possibilities. I have a few ideas. I definitely know where we SHOULD go. I definitely know where, if I were God, I would send us. So far, that has never worked. So, one opportunity for Susan and me is to truly let go and let God, not knowing the outcome and just living one day, one breath at a time and following Divine Guidance as it is made known to us. Same goes for our church community.