March 4, 2022 – “Trust”

“Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, ² “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands before they eat.” He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.’ But you say that whoever tells father or mother, ‘Whatever support you might have had from me is given to God,’ then that person need not honor the father. So, for the sake of your tradition, you make void the word of God. You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied rightly about you when he said:‘This people honors me with their lips,  but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me,  teaching human precepts as doctrines.’” Matthew 15:1-9

We are talking about the phrase “OK, Boomer”, and digging deeper into the reasons for why people from different generations do not always agree with one another. And, we are asking the question: “Why do people resist change?” Well, here is the last of our possible reasons:

4. People lack trust in the one making changes

When people are asked to make changes in their lives, they seek someone or something they can trust to guide them, support them, and help them maintain some sense of stasis. Therefore, it is necessary for any leader to build trust over a period of time. Building trust with people is so important.

If trust is not built, then mistrust is the default response and mistrust often becomes evident in a resistance to change. So what can people do when trust has been lost? How do we learn to trust again. Well, the first thing to remember is that you will get hurt again someday. Trusting is a decision you must make knowing there are never any guarantees that you won’t feel this way again in the future. So if we are to learn to trust again, I am going to talk about some tips you can follow to help you choose to trust people and to trust change.

First Tip: Embrace Vulnerability: Vulnerability is one of our greatest strengths as humans – and that seems counter-intuitive. But it is true. If we don’t put ourselves out there and take risks, well, then we risk missing out on life as well.  Life is messy, but it has to be if life will be worth living. Building protective walls to hide behind – emotionally speaking – may sound like a good idea, but once we put up walls, those walls can be hard to break down. Opening up to others, even if it is in just some little ways, will eventually allow you to learn to trust your vulnerability. When it comes to the many religious leaders we may read about, there hasn’t been anyone like Jesus (except perhaps the Buddha) who showed his humanness and his vulnerabilities. We know through scripture that Jesus wept, Jesus told sarcastic stories, and Jesus suffered. Because he was vulnerable to the wickedness of this world, we know he was truly human, and truly divine.

We must become vulnerable if we are to fully trust Jesus – because our trust and faith requires letting go of control and putting our hearts and our fate into G-d’s hands.

Let us pray,

Lord Jesus, we know that life is messy, but with you in control, our futures are secured no matter how much we mess things up. Amen.

Pastor Dave

March 3, 2022 – “Departing from the Status Quo”

“He left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. Then Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.” And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. And he was amazed at their unbelief.” Mark 6:1-6

We are talking about the phrase “OK, Boomer”, and digging deeper into the reasons for why people from different generations do not always agree with one another. And, we are asking the question: “Why do people resist change?” Well, here is the third of four possible reasons:

3. People fear a departure from the status quo

By definition, implementing change is a departure from what we all refer to as the “status quo” — “the way it’s always been done.” What sits beneath the phrase “we have always done it this way” is the fight for all of us to maintain “homeostasis – or a stable state of equilibrium. As human beings we choose to be in balance – to be in a calm state – in other words, we prefer to be in equilibrium. By nature we resist change – because it puts us out of balance – and into a state of dis-equilibrium. As such, change makes us uncomfortable – which is why we seek the “status quo” – because it feels better.

Jesus represented a change from the usual teaching the people had been receiving in the synagogue. They experienced a wisdom and an intuitive insight they hadn’t heard before when Jesus spoke. And initially it was exciting. But then it sunk in – this was Jesus, the one they had known since he was a child. And for Jesus to break out of that “model” was too much – it disturbed their status quo.

But isn’t that the power of Jesus – that he turns the thinking and the working of the world upside down? Jesus does not represent the status quo in this world, because he preaches and teaches power through weakness, wisdom through folly, and love instead of judgment. Jesus hopes to disturb our thinking so that we do not rely on worldly solutions – but rely on the love, mercy and Grace of Jesus – who seeks to redefine our status quo by putting G-d first, and everything else second.

Let us Pray,

Lord Christ, we do not like to be out-of-kilter – instead we like sameness. Although this world will always seem to be changing, you are the same yesterday, today and forever. Amen.

Pastor Dave