10 July 2011

Under Construction

Matt & I at the Summer '09
Zombie Walk in Seattle
Photo by http://nightzero.com/
This site is under construction.  I've been experimenting with a new look for this blog.  It has taken a while to re-adjust the content and gadgets so it all flows together nicely.  I may still be working out some kinks for a bit, so please be patient.Navigating a construction zone can be incredibly frustrating.  Working on the construction can be just as difficult.

Today I'm thinking about the 520 bridge connecting Bellevue to Seattle over Lake Washington.  The bridge, and a large section of road on either side of it, is closed this weekend.  Long lines of traffic are backed up crossing the I-90 bridge and the sun is beating down on all of the cars.  Despite the electronic signs indicating for weeks that construction was imminent, drivers still get upset while they're waiting for the renewed roadway to open up.

That's a little bit like what is happening in many of our congregations these days.  While we have been seeing signs pointing to a new way of doing church for a good decade or so, in recent days it seems as though the signs have been ignored.  Like the drivers who impatiently honk their horns or flip each other the bird, we have simply become disgruntled travelers along the roadway of Christianity.  We push each other away and neglect common courtesies in the preparations for our gatherings, and the pastors and worship leaders get the brunt of our frustration poured out on them.  It is a sad sight, dear ones.  We don't have to act this way.

In a traffic jam surrounding a construction site, we all have a choice as to how we will interact with our fellow drivers.  We can choose to be aggressive and mean-spirited, or we can breathe deeply, wave to our fellow travelers and let them in where they feel they need to be.  People around us will usually reciprocate no matter which choice we make. 

When I'm caught in the construction zones of life, I truly hope that I will make the choice to abide in peace.  I pray that the Church will do the same.  Remember that Jesus breathes new life into us through the Holy Spirit so that the Father may  be glorified.  May we learn to go and do likewise.  Amen.

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