The change business

I just read in Kelly Fryer's blog a great line.  I'm not sure if it's hers or not, but I'll happily give her credit for it.  She says "Jesus did not come to maintain museum-like buildings, or..."

I'd even just shorten the line to "Jesus did not come to maintain..."

It strikes me that one of the fundamental truths about Jesus is that he was change.  Incarnate.

He changed everything.  Internal/external/perception/reality/death/life/crucifixion/resurrection/sin/grace....the list goes on and on.  

So those of us in ministry?  We are change agents.  Across a broad spectrum:  individually, socially, spiritually, organizationally, communally, congregationally.

This, I have discovered, is hard work.  And frankly, it's not what we are trained to do.  The seminaries of the ELCA do not change organizational dynamics, or organizational psychology.  They do not instruct people new to ministry in how to not only navigate and survive, but to direct and thrive change.  People either learn it or they do not.  Those that do, do it.  Those that do not, eventually wind up in places that are not interested in change.  While convenient for them, it winds up perpetuating the problem.  

Change.  How do we create a culture adequate, and with the capacity, to complete this call?