The Difficult Work of Transition

David — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 08:02:14 -0700

The piece was difficult to play. I had spent about two months on it, meticulously playing it over and over trying to get it just right. My guitar teacher would have nothing less than perfection. Each week I would make progress, but, I just couldn't get through the Bach piece without messing up somewhere. So, he would send me home to work on it a little bit more.

During one of our sessions, my guitar teacher noticed something that, up until this time, both of us had missed. I was playing one chord in the song wrong. Instead of playing an A like I was suppose to, I was playing an Am. Instead of a C#, I was playing a C. Both chords sounded correct, but only one reflected what Bach wrote. It was a depression realization that I had been playing this piece wrong, and practicing it wrong, for about two months. My guitar teacher was apologetic for not catching it sooner, but we both realized that the A sounded okay even though it was wrong. Nevertheless, he sent me back home to learn how to play the piece right.

It was amazingly difficult. I would even say it was harder to 'fix' the problem that it was learning the piece up to that point. I had to slow the rest of the piece down and concentrate. If I didn't, then I would 'naturally' play the piece the wrong way. Over several weeks the piece became more comfortable and finally I was able to play it to my teacher's satisfaction.

I think about that experience as I reflect on transitions. Transition means that you have been doing something one way and you are wanting (or needing) to do it another way. Just like that Bach piece, the new way seems unnatural and wrong...even when you know it is right! At one point, I actually said that I liked my way better that the way Bach wrote it! In transitions the old ways seem like the best ways and the new ways seem...suspect.

In the church I find transitions slow going. Attitudes need changed or adjusting. People, some who have been so instrumental, end up standing on the sidelines. The ground you walk on seems strange and unfamiliar. At some point you realize that you "aren't in Kansas anymore." Some might even start longing for the 'old' way...even if they agree that the old way wasn't working. I think it is important to be honest; transition is difficult work. Sometimes it seems like it would be easier to scrap the whole thing and start over again and perhaps it would be. Yet, there are seasons when God calls us to this difficult work. The important thing is not to give up and to understand if it were easy, then everyone would be doing it (said with a slight grin).

If there is an age where the church needs to be in transition, this is it. Many of our churches are based on models that were more about social interaction (should I say "club mentality") than the kingdom of God. The belief of "if we just get them in the door...then we can make disciples" is showing itself to be a pipe dream. Our culture has basically said they don't see the need, or the reason for the church. They have said this with their absence. Those who do continue coming don't always reflect a Christian life or mindset, instead, they march to the beat of a cultural drummer.

Transition is needed, and those of the missional mindset realize this and some are trying their best to discover ways to transition traditional churches into ones that are signposts, instruments and agents of God's kingdom. I don't think it will be quick or easy. We have been doing ministry a different way for a long time and it will take a while to convince people that transition is needed and worth the effort it will require. My hope is as those transitional minded missional individuals find each other, we can support each other in this task.

United Methodist

The Difficult Work of Transition