Matthew 10
As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for laborers deserve their food. Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. As you enter the house, greet it. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town.
Definition of homeostasis
a relatively stable state of equilibrium or a tendency toward such a state between the different but interdependent elements or groups of elements of an organism, population, or group striving to achieve homeostasis.
A colleague of mine introduced the concept of homeostasis to me. I had never heard of it. He was specifically referencing family systems but acknowledged that the homeostasis can apply to the human body, churches, any organism that settles into a new normal and then is transformed by a new agent. As an ordained Minister serving various churches for 28 years this concept made a lot of sense to me. Whether it is the Minister her/himself or some active lay leader the advent of a new person into a community changes the homeostasis, in fact the homeostasis is always changing as new people arrive and former longstanding members leave or die. I found this to be very enlightening, it helps me to understand that part of my role in the church is to manage and massage and celebrate this evolution, this organic shift.
Obviously human nature makes such changes problematic for many, that is why traditions can be as little as two years old. I am constantly amazed when a volunteer tells me “we have always done it this way” and I later discover the length of this tradition is in reality no more than three years. Good leaders inform organizations that these shifts are normal, constant and necessary to maintain a level of new life. Any organism that stays the same without any new agents is bound for stagnation and death.
Having said all of this there is a level of joy in the familiar that cannot be overlooked. People do enjoy traditions and these do need to be celebrated. New agents need to respect what is and the evolution of activities needs to be organic.
I think about Jesus’ words of instruction to his disciples, calling on them to enter new places, to be new agents, to bring healing and love. Sometimes these agents are welcome and sometimes they are not. Jesus counsels his followers to be wise with their time and talent and invest where new life is emerging. Good advice for all of us. The homeostasis is a constant, how we engage our community determines how healthy the organism remains.