09/23/2026
Last week, the District Superintendents and District Office Staff met in Little Rock for a workday and fellowship. Northwest District Assistant Maggie Ramirez volunteered to lead our devotional.
It was so appropriate for this season of life we are in. With her permission, we would like to share it with you.
Seasons of Change
Change.
It’s a simple word, but it can stir up a lot of emotion.
The word change comes from the Old French word changer, meaning “to alter, exchange, or make different.” And, interestingly, we use the word "change" both as a noun and as a verb.
Change can be something that happens to us—a new season, a new circumstance, something we didn’t necessarily choose.
Or change can be something we do—a decision, an action, a willingness to move from where we are to where God is calling us next.
And just hearing the word change can bring a reaction. It can elicit all sorts of feelings.
For some, change brings excitement. For others, it brings uncertainty, anxiety, or even resistance. And I think we see that especially within the church.
Think about the changes we experience together:
Changes in leadership.
Changes in appointments.
Changes in our families and in our relationships.
Changes in the people sitting beside us in the pews.
In the United Methodist Church, we understand very well that seasons change. Pastors come and go. Ministries begin and end. People move into new seasons of life and service. And sometimes we embrace those changes. Other times, we’re not quite ready
for them.
So what happens inside of you when you hear the words “things are going to change”?
Do you feel anticipation? Hope? Anxiety?
Do you immediately wonder:
“What will this mean for me and my family?”
“What will this mean for our church?”
“What will we lose?”
“What will I have to learn?”
“What happens next?”
And maybe that’s where our worry begins. Because often, what we fear isn’t necessarily the change itself. It’s the uncertainty of what comes with it.
But Scripture reminds us that while our circumstances are constantly changing, our God is not.
Hebrews 13:8 tells us:
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Think about that.
Yesterday, Christ was faithful.
Today, Christ is faithful.
Tomorrow, Christ will still be faithful.
Our leaders and methods may change.
The way we serve may change.
Our responsibilities and plans may change.
Our seasons of life may change.
But God does not.
And perhaps that is where we find peace—not in knowing exactly what is coming, but in knowing Who is already there.
We don’t have to have every answer because He is already holding the questions.
We don’t have to know exactly where the next season will take us because God is already there.
So when change comes—and it will come—let’s not allow uncertainty to become fear. Instead, let’s see change as an invitation to trust and to listen to where God may be
leading us next.
Because, we know that the church is not held together by a particular pastor, a particular program, a particular leader, or even a particular season. The church belongs to Christ.
And Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
So perhaps instead of asking, “What if everything changes?” maybe we can ask “What if God is going to meet us there, just as He met us here today?”
And He will—In every season, He will.
Amen.
