Dear Members and Friends of St. Paul’s,
Change is hard. As an example, every time I think I’ve figured out a routine and how to handle my infant daughter, something changes. I have to adapt my lifestyle, change my way of doing things, and rise to a new challenge. We finally got into a routine with nursing, and it was time to introduce solid foods. We finally got her to sleep well swaddled at night, and then she learned how to roll, and the swaddle had to come off. There is always a new challenge when you’re raising an infant. But the challenges are important. They are a sign of growth and development. If I were to keep caring for my daughter exactly as I did the day she was born, she would never grow and develop as a healthy child. Things can’t stay the same forever.
The same is true for the church. Things can’t stay the same forever, but change is hard. We get comfortable doing things the same way we’ve been doing them. We get comfortable in our old routines, and it’s easier to stay the same than it is to try something new. But, when what we’ve been doing isn’t working, it’s time to adapt.
At the May and June Council meetings, we spent a lot of time talking about worship times. In fact, we’ve spent much of the last year and a half talking about worship times at Council meetings and Worship & Music Committee meetings, as well as throughout the congregation. The truth is that our former worship schedule of Saturdays at 5pm, and Sundays at 9am and 11am was not working. For a variety of reasons, it is time for us to change.
For better or for worse, change brings with it a lot of emotions. There are those who are upset because they liked things the way they were. Even if the worship schedule wasn’t ideal, it was working for some people. There are those who are thankful because they were feeling the need for change. There are those who are grieving because the change requires admitting that we are a smaller congregation than we once were. There are those who are hopeful because there is renewed energy in worship. There are those who are worried that the change may not solve the problems we were facing or may create new ones. And there are plenty of other emotions involved, too. But things can’t stay the same forever. Even as we enter into a new reality of worship on Saturdays at 5pm and Sundays at 10am, that will not last forever either. We will continue to change as the needs of the church change. I don’t know if the new worship schedule will last a month or several years, but I trust that God is at work in the process and will guide us in our discernment.
As Christians, we believe that God brings new life out of death. I truly believe that as we adapt our worship schedule to meet current needs and as we face other changes in the life of St. Paul’s, God will work new life. Yes, there is grief in death, but there is always hope for new life. I invite you to watch and hope and pray with me as we see what God will do through our hands and voices as our church changes.
Additionally, as things change, it is important to embrace our community, communicate, and support one another. I know that as my daughter grows and changes, I lean on my friends, family, and doctors to help me learn and grow with her. As things change at St. Paul’s, we need to communicate with one another, listen to each other, share how we are feeling, and support one another. I was thankful that some members of the church attended the June Council meeting to share their feelings and concerns with the worship schedule change. I hope that others will communicate how they are feeling as well. When we don’t communicate, we have no way to understand what people are feeling.
Please know that I am always glad to meet with you to address any questions or concerns you may have, to celebrate with you, mourn with you, or simply to listen as you try and figure it out. You don’t have to be sick to request a visit or conversation. Just reach out to me personally or through Rosanne in the office. I look forward to hearing from you.
Please join me in prayer for St. Paul’s and for one another as we adapt to these changes.
Peace,
Rev. Jessica Hahn