Changes
The shingles were flying. After two hail storms and around two decades of use they needed it. This past week the church roof received an upgrade on what hopes to last for a long time. For many steel shingles are the way to go, with a high likelihood of lasting many, many decades. Things continue to change. With that image in mind this past week I also talked with someone who remembers coming to church in a horse and buggy- and “parking” their horse in the old horse sheds that used to rest on the west side of church, in the same spot where I had just carefully walked around avoiding shingle debris.
Things do continue to change. Through all the many changes of church life, God remains the same. Not only have the St. John’s buildings changed- and more of that is coming due to hail damage and insurance claims- but our lives change also. New jobs, new homes, new family members, new aches and pains, and new grunts and groans caused by the aforementioned aches and pains punctuate our lives.
Yet God and His promises continue to outlast all the things that change on earth. There is something steady and refreshing about that. His love, forgiveness, and peace have steadied our lives through situations a lot bigger than many a church or home remodeling project. And that will continue. Because in a world of upheaval the writer to the Hebrews says, “Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 Our Lord and Savior remains constant in an inconsistent world. He keeps his promises. His long term plan remains the same. His love for you will be around for a long, long time. Even when your shingles aren’t.
