Finally! (A story about change.)

Charles Siburt opened the Abilene Christian University Retiree Ministry Conference this week with a keynote talking about his "cloud of witnesses" -- older folks, some living, and some dead and still living -- who cheer him on. He calls them "Balcony People," those who cheer you on as opposed to "Basement People," those who try to drag you down.

My favorite story was about the patriarch of a church where Siburt had preached years ago. This man had served as a elder for a long time, but had now stepped aside from that position, and was the oldest man in the church. He still held a lot of influence, and frequently the current leaders would seek out his advice.

On one occasion a few years ago, they came to him, and said, "We're thinking about beginning to use a praise team in our worship. What do you think about that?" "FINALLY!" the patriarch responded. "We haven't always been so narrow, you know. In my youth, I sang with a gospel quartet, and we often sang during the worship service, not after the final prayer."

On another occasion, they came to him and said, "We're thinking about having a Christmas program this year. What do you think about that?" "FINALLY!" he responded. "We haven't always been so narrow, you know. In my youth we had Christmas pageants and even a Christmas tree at church."

There are lots of lessons to learn from that story, but here are three that I hope to remember.

1. Never assume that you know how someone else will respond to a proposed change. Ask and listen. You're almost certain to learn from them.
2. Never discount the importance of church patriarchs and matriarchs. They have untold influence for good, and we all have much to learn from them.
3. Don't assume that the older folks are the ones resistant to change. Often they are more aware of the needs for change than those of us who are younger, and are happy to help us accomplish it.