Blank Slate

Each of us has, at some point in life, wished for a blank slate. We want a chance to start over, to not make the mistakes we've made in the past, to get it right on the second time around. Part of this desire stems from our regrets over the past; part of it comes from discontent with the present; another part is based on hopelessness about the future. It's why some people move across the country or quit their job with no plan in mind. It's a way to get a blank slate.

Standing in my office at the moment awaiting use on Saturday morning is a blank whiteboard. Saturday morning is our planning breakfast, and we'll be sharing both good food and ideas for the future of the church. We're literally going back to the drawing board, starting with a blank slate. I'll jot down ideas as we have them so we can discuss them, throw them around, and see what we think we can do as a church to bring in more youth, young families, and those who need the salvation offered by Jesus Christ.

The difference here is that we're not starting totally over from scratch. RSCC has been around for over a century, and that makes for a lot of history, connections, and reputation. None of the past will be erased. None of what we do will be geared toward changing everything so completely we become unrecognizable. Nothing will happen to take the church away from its foundation, its builders, and its current members. But we will be talking about changes. We may start new things; we may stop current things. We may uncover a few "sacred cows," and we may even hit a few nerves. As we go into this, then, let us do so in love.

We're about to outline a new story on this whiteboard, begin a new tale on a blank slate. Make it a story about Jesus.