Those of us who have worked with it for a while, have learned a few things:
There are no experts in the area of transformation. Some things which produce amazing results in one setting seem to be totally ineffective in another. The transformation journey requires people who are willing to be learners, help others learn, try new things and adapt resources to fit the needs. We can't call someone in from the outside and expect them to give us a program or fix our churches for us.
Transformation is a process not a program. In reality no program can promise and deliver certain results, but there are many tools and resources to help us on the journey. The process develops as we continue our journey.
Transformation isn't a quick fix. Most of us would like to think a few minor changes will lead easily and quickly to transformation. Alan Roxburgh, among others, points to the fact that our world, our culture, even our local neighborhoods and churches are living in a time of major upheaval and transformation. So, no matter what, our journey is just beginning. Perhaps that is one of the reasons the story of the Exodus offers a metaphor for the journey we are just beginning. To that, many reply, "We don't have time for such a long journey. Remember during the years in the wilderness, the Hebrew people grew both in numbers and their relationship to God."
Transformation begins with a changing heart. We understand transformation is a gift from God. We can't make it happen any more than we can make plants grow. We do have a part. The rest comes from God. One of the first steps seems to be a return to the study of scripture and developing practices of prayer and meditation.
Courage, Clarity, and Commitment are essential to this journey. 1) Courage – it isn't easy to step off familiar paths and go in a new direction, especially when success is not assured. 2) Clarity – this takes a willingness to listen, explore, test, and focus on the work to which God is calling us. 3) Commitment – We will not know for some time, probably years, whether or not transformation is really occurring. There are some markers we can use along the way. At the same time we have to work and hope and trust that the fruit will come and God who acted in the past and acts in the present, will continue to act in the future. Staying the course requires an abundance of these three qualities.
When's the study of scripture and developing practices of prayer and meditation that you speak of here begin. The first step?
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