We all are part of the change that happens in our lives sometimes because of our direct response to events other times we are only participants in the change by our presence. Both can be exhilarating, troublesome, and yes even painful emotionally or physically. Always the better way to handle it is to accept what is and remember life is only what we make it and that is mostly because of our perception. Our spiritual community is going through some rather difficult changes, I believe mostly because of cultural changes that have occurred in the last 50 yrs. I am sure some of the changes are resisted, resented and have caused people to move on. It's not your dad's community, we must keep in mind that we are not them, we have embraced lots of changes that our dad's generation would have not. It is common for grown adults to let that go in their later teens, but at some point feel the emptiness of not being a part of something bigger than themselves. There is and will always be the need for humans to create community. To create this.........
(These views are only the musings of Roland, retired with a mind full of opinions)