Things Have Changed

I had this thought yesterday as a cell phone went off in the middle of my message, “Technology sure has came a long way!”

I remember the first time I saw a cell phone; actually, it was referred to as a “car phone.” I was working at my fathers gas station in 1983 and a dude from out of town had one…it was the coolest thing I had ever seen.

Over time the cell phone became more and more common—and now I see children at the mall with their very own. It’s so amazing—no one used to have a cell phone—now it seems that if you do not have one that there is something wrong with you. Yep—the way we communicate with one another sure has changed…and no one has a problem with it.

The same can be said about cooking…

I remember the first time I saw a microwave oven. Once again…I thought it was the coolest thing I had ever seen. (Given the fact that I love to eat…and with this invention my food could be prepared much faster…I was so excited!!!) And at first only the wealthy could afford a microwave—but over time they became pretty common in every home in America.

And not only the microwave…but the way we prepare food in general is much different than it used to be. I used to watch my grandmother bang cans of biscuits on the counter before she would open them…and then she would throw all the scraps of food that were leftover out her back door. Now we have gadgets in our kitchens that I have no idea what they do—but they serve a purpose. We have garbage disposals to gobble up our scraps. Yep, the way we prepare food sure has changed…and no one seems to have a problem with it.

I have only been alive for a little over 34 years…and things keep changing. Our cars (no one longs for the day of the Pinto anymore), our computers…even the way we shop (yeah internet) has changed…we live in a culture of change…we literally reinvent ourselves every three to five years.

And then there is church! I heard a guy say once, “If the 1950’s ever make a comeback…the church is ready.” I would say I have to agree. And what is so sad about that is the fact that EVERYTHING in our culture has radically changed over the past 25 years…and no one has a problem with that…until it comes to the church—and only then does change seem to be problematic.

One of the things that I love about Jesus is that He was never an opponent of the culture He lived in. He never staged a protest in regards to the Roman occupation of His country. He never rallied the religious to begin to picket the local prostitutes. He never asked people to write a letter complaining about the illegal practices of local tax collectors. He never longed for “the good ‘ole days” when so & so was king. Nope—He simply started where His culture was…and instead of working against it—He used it to reach and minister to the masses that had been neglected by the Pharisees of the day.

Unfortunately the church has lost this aspect of the ministry of Jesus. We use phrases that those outside the church culture do not understand. We sing songs that no one can identify with. And we dress in clothes that, if we would all be honest, are not at all comfortable. (I once had a lady who told me that the most awesome thing about New Spring was the fact that she no longer had to wear pantyhose!) And when those outside the church cannot connect—we simply turn our noses up in the air and declare that the problem is theirs…not ours!

Here at Newspring we decided a long time ago to work with culture and not against it. God Himself says in Isaiah 43:18-19 that He is doing a new thing. We’ve got to consistently change in order to reach the people outside the church…and if we always do what we’ve always done we’ll always get what we’ve always got!!!

One of the things I enjoy about our church is how we are currently doing ministry; however, if we are still doing the same things that we are doing now in five years then we will be facing major problems. Why—because if this takes place I feel we will be in the beginning stages of what we set out not to be…boring, predictable, and stale Christianity!

My prayer as the pastor of New Spring is that we will continually be on the edge and be willing to change and embrace the culture we live in rather than fight against it. We are constantly evaluating the practices and strategies that we employ to reach out to our community. I can’t wait for each and every Sunday to roll around so that we can do what God has asked us to do—reach people with the life changing message of Jesus Christ in a creative and excellent way.
What does that look like now? Personally—I think it’s cool! What will it look like in a few years…I have no idea…but I promise it will be different…and I can’t wait to see it!