The big question at Northminster right now is, of course: What’s going to happen with our worship services? Are we going to go back to one worship service? What would it look like? Would it be mostly contemporary? What does that mean? What would happen to the choir? What would happen to the staff positions that currently support the Heritage service? What time would the new service be?

These are all important questions that will have to be answered in time. And that’s the purpose for the open forum conversation held after the worship service on April 27. This is a big decision and I believe that everyone deserves to have his or her voice heard. It’s also why I invited everyone to share their feedback on the website (and I want to thank everyone who has shared their feedback).

There are, as I see it, two reasons to give everyone a chance to share their thoughts. The first is, as I mentioned above, to give each person a voice. We need to be in dialogue about these kinds of things, always open and willing to listen to each other, as well as to share honestly and lovingly with each other.

The second reason for allowing everyone to share their thoughts has to do with the role of Session (our board of elders). We are Presbyterians, and as Presbyterians we are led by the elders that we elect. The job of the elders is to discern the will of God. This is important—it is not to simply make a decision by majority vote, but to listen to the Spirit of God and then make a decision based on what they sense God is saying. And one of the critical ways by which elders can hear the Spirit of God is by listening to the people of God.

I believe God speaks through his people. That’s us! This doesn’t mean we will always agree on everything; and even our elders might not always agree on what they believe the will of God is. But we believe that God speaks through us and to us, and as we listen to God, God will make the way clear before us.

After our open forum conversation, Session will come together sometime in the following two weeks (I’ll be on vacation this week, so we won’t meet until sometime after May 4). At that time, we will talk about what we have heard from all of you and where we sense God may be taking us. At that time, the decision will be made as to whether or not we will reunite as one service and what that service will look like (though there will, of course, be flexibility to adapt in the future).

God is moving in some new ways at Northminster, and I am so excited about it! New people are visiting and coming back! People are joining our New Members Class! Some of you will be going on the mission trip to Mexico! And that’s just the beginning!

The wind of the Spirit is blowing at Northminster! Could a move to one service be part of the Spirit’s moving? We’ll see. But whatever happens, we can rest assured that God is with us. God has not left us and will never leave us or forsake us.

We can remember with joy the words of Jeremiah 29:11: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” Amen!