I was jostled this morning by earthquake tremors rattling my office. A massive, machine driven jackhammer was at work on our worship center platform. I wandered over there a while ago. On one side of the platform lay a huge pile of broken chunks of concrete, with metal rebar rods sticking out at all angles.  Rubble sat where steps and stage end had stood hours before.
It got me thinking. That rubble represented something really good for the past, but now stood in the way of something better for the future. I am grateful for that rubble. In its more ordered state, I have spent a lot of time prowling on top of it on Sunday mornings. The whole room is precious to me.

Joanne Sharp gave our church staff members, a little swatch of the old worship center carpet in a small, glass cased display. Mine sits on my desk. I am glad to remember the room as it was. The first time I walked in to the worship center after pews were out, carpets up, and it looked like an abandoned warehouse, I was glad I was alone. I needed to talk out loud to God about my sense of loss, my memories of early morning prayer walks in that room and a lot of sermons. A lot. Does that mean I will lay new carpet in my office, to match the teal swatch? No. I thank God for the past. But, I am with you! Pumped for the future worship space to enhance ministry into the future!

           Whenever God is at work, there is rubble. Rubble represents a beautiful past that
now has to be cleared out for God’s new works of grace and supernatural visitations.
Every ministry in our church has an expiration date on it. Our 3rd Core Value is “We are seeking to keep in step with the Spirit“. To follow the Spirit’s lead in launching new ministries and outreaches, comes with a flip side. We have to give the Spirit the same liberty to tell us when things have reached their expiration date. It will be because God has new ways to accomplish the timeless callings of gospel sharing, making disciples, proclaiming the Scriptures, loving people, and glorifying God.
Life involves change.  Growth IS change.  There may be real change in your life that God is orchestrating.  No doubt, there is also rubble.  Embrace the beauty of the past good that the rubble represents, then let it go, and embrace the beauty God has ahead!