Where Have You Gone, O Britannica?

The recent announcement that the Encyclopedia Britannica will no longer be available in hard copy sure caused a stir. Those of us who are a bit older remember that having this set of books on the shelves at home used to be a sign of parental commitment to quality education. Not everyone could afford these books, however. My parents settled for a nice set of Time-Life books on world history and geography. I liked the pictures. I’m glad to see the Britannica can still be accessed online. I’m not quite ready to accept Wikipedia as a trusted alternative.

So, encyclopedias join a large and growing number of resources and tools that have disappeared during the past 30 years as technology has advanced. When I taught school in the 1970s, mimeograph machines were the most valuable device in the school office (and the paper smelled so good, too!). Eight-track tape players and cassette tapes came and went quickly and eventually LP records as well, although they seem to be making a comeback among young music fans who are impressed with the sound quality of “vinyl.” I’m no longer adding many books to my shelves at home, having become a fan of the convenience and portability of my iPad for downloaded books and reading the Chicago Tribune.

Even churches come and go. The recent disclosure that the Crystal Cathedral in California, home of the televised worship service, “Hour of Power,” is being sold to the Catholic Church after the ministry declared bankruptcy is a case in point. Robert Schuller’s daughter is trying to grow a new congregation. I read somewhere that 100 people attended the first service.

These examples are, among other things, a reminder to all of us who care about the effectiveness and success of the organizations and institutions we serve about the importance of recognizing and adapting to change. A world in which technology advances so quickly, with microchips getting twice as small and twice as fast every six months, in which unlimited amounts of information is instantly at our fingertips, and in which communication with almost anyone at anytime and anywhere is possible, requires us to be nimble, creative and adaptive in the pursuit of our mission.

A significant conversation about change and the future will take place very soon among the leaders of Wheat Ridge Ministries. I’m very excited that our board of directors and staff are gathering with two dozen other thoughtful people for a “future summit.” This meeting, which is part of a larger strategic planning process, will bring together people with a variety of expertise, perspectives and experiences to consider the effective pursuit of the Wheat Ridge mission in the years ahead. We’ll be discussing what the changes around us mean for how we seed new ministries and for our business model. Please keep this process in your prayers as we seek God’s blessing on our conversations and decisions. I look forward to sharing more about this after the summit.

Wheat Ridge has the advantage of being able to draw from its past when considering future opportunities. Our history as an organization includes significant experience in organizational change. I was privileged to recently attend the memorial service for Rev. Dr. Edward May, who served as the director of the Wheat Ridge Tuberculosis Sanitarium and as the president of Wheat Ridge from 1958-1973.

During Ed’s years at Wheat Ridge, medication became available to treat people with tuberculosis, thus reducing the need for the tuberculosis hospital that had been operating for over 50 years in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. Rather than “fold up shop” at that point, Ed and his colleagues decided to sell the sanitarium and invest funds from the sale in a foundation to provide resources to assist in the development of new health ministries in the United States and around the world. They called it the Wheat Ridge Foundation. Given all of the jokes that I’ve heard over the years on the theme of Lutherans and change, I imagine there were many people in Ed’s day who thought this shift of strategy and focus would never work. Thank God for Ed and for his vision and persistence that set the tone and direction for the next 50+ years of Wheat Ridge’s service to the church, service that continues today and, God willing, for a long time to come.

We know that God’s love and presence never changes, even in the midst of our changing times. We are assured that even though heaven and earth will pass away, God’s Word will never pass away. (Matthew 24:35) This is Good News as we conclude another Lenten journey with a celebration at the empty tomb. Talk about transformative change!