The Four L’s of Change

A few years ago, Kroger (the nation’s largest supermarket chain) purchased local favorite PayLess. Kroger chose to keep the old PayLess name (which still stands), but it did rearrange some of the aisles and product placements in its Anderson PayLess stores.

It didn’t take long for “the fur to fly,” as they say. “What do they think they’re doing?” was the cry. “How dare they move the Campbell soup to aisle 10!” “What’s up with the natural food section—who cares? Give me more chips.” “Pop should be where you walk in, not on the other side of the greeting cards!” I’m not making this up. Blood pressures rose. Angry customers threatened to leave PayLess and shop at Marsh. I even preached a sermon about “changes at PayLess” to calm some of the saints.

Of course, some of us welcomed the changes. Truth be told, supermarket retailing in Anderson had been falling behind the rest of the country. Produce options and displays were, well, er uh, limited. The serpentine aisle systems customary here (in which you could be boxed in maze-like corners, lost in the pickles and mustard and forced to walk by “wine and spirits” just to find a way out) were not new-customer-friendly. Kroger (and the arrival of Meijer on the southside) expanded and changed our shopping horizons.

But, change doesn’t always come easy. We find solace in the familiar and security in the predictable. When we’re surprised by change, we feel a sense of loss and want to blame somebody for “upsetting the applecart.” We’ve all been there.

Our church has been experiencing monumental change in the last few months, as we have moved to Madison Park. We’re in a different location, for instance (seven miles from our last meeting place on Scatterfield). The building looks and feels very different. No stained glass. But lots of glass—and daylight. No balcony, but twice as many seats in the Main Auditorium. No more standing in line at the restroom, but a lot more walking to get there. Shuttle pick-ups in the parking lot, at your car, but fewer parking places at the door. Sunday services, as before, but configured quite differently.

And then, there are new faces. Lots of them. In fact, so far in September, we’ve been averaging over 400 more people every Sunday (483, to be exact, if those head-counts are being recorded correctly). Every one is welcome, but still, that’s a lot of change.

And, there are some “Northgoers” who came to Madison Park at first, but have now sought refuge elsewhere, stepping away from our church family and searching for new church homes. It’s never easy to say goodbye (especially if you don’t say goodbye).

A precious soul on our greeting team recently sent me a devotional (originally written by Rick Warren) which has helped her through the changes. It helped me, too—and I’m excerpting it here to help you, as well. It is full of wisdom, whenever you’re struggling with change—anywhere, from PayLess to church. Warren suggests a few things to remember in managing change:

(1) Love each other. “The first mistake most people make during change is to focus on what they’ve lost, instead of what has been gained—and that creates fear. The antidote to fear is love: There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear (I John 4:18). … The love that conquers fear involves thinking about others instead of focusing on your own needs—and the more you love, the less you fear.”

(2) Listen to each other. “During transition, we must be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry (James 1:19). If we get the first two right (quick listening, slow speaking), then the third (slow anger) will become automatic.” Seek to under-stand before trying to be understood.

(3) Level with each other. “We must speak the truth in love to each other if we’re going to walk together through change. It is human nature to avoid confronting someone directly, but then we fall into problems—even gossip—by talking to other people about the person we need to confront.” Speak lovingly. Reach for reconcilia-tion; never try just to prove a point.

(4) Liberate each other. “Finally, we need to show each other grace—cut each other some slack—during transition. Liberating each other means letting go and treating someone else the same way Jesus treats you.” It’s that whole “treat others the way you want to be treated” (Matthew 7:14) Golden Rule-of-Jesus deal.

The aisles may be rearranged. The music may not be “your cup of tea.” The lighting may remind you of a theatre. The service times may be different. But, relax. Jesus is the same, yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). God is blessing (e.g. we’ve had more candidates for baptism in September than in any single month since I’ve been here—and I’ve been here 16 years).

Sometimes, change is for the better. We’re still finding our way. I’m growing and learning with you. Thanks for walking with me, too. Dreams Work.