Got Any Change, Mister?
May 13th, 2008I watched the news a few nights ago and saw one of those small town feel good reports. This one was about a bank in a small Texas town. This particular bank was a throw back to former days. There were no computers, everything was done the old fashion way — by hand. The owner had no interest in coming into the 21st century.
I suspect that was indicative of the whole town. It was small and appeared to be on the way out. The population was mainly comprised of the elderly who had no intention of leaving their town — other than in a hearse. Their days of productivity were over. They waited for their time to “go home.”
How many churches are like the bank in that small town? How many refuse to step up to the changing times to present an unchanging gospel? How many church leaders would rather skip all of the fuss and bother rather than make the necessary efforts to thrive?
We’ve heard all of the excuses — “We’ve never done it that way.” “I like the way we are doing it.” “Why do we need to change?” “It was good enough for my grandmother, it’s good enough for me.”
The bank and the small Texas town are going to die. Is it ok for our churches just to die? Who shares the gospel with the world when our churches no longer exist?
Certainly the truths of the gospel do not change. Jesus is who he is and his words are what the are — forever. The “trick” for the church is to be able to step in the world, co-exist with it and make an impact with the gospel. What worked in 1808 or 1908 does not work in 2008. What works in 2008 would not have worked in 1808 or 1908. Timing is crucial.
The church’s effectiveness begins with devotion to God and his Son. It is the great commandment of loving God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength that paves the way to love our neighbor as ourselves (the second greatest commandment- see Matthew 22.36-40). As we love our neighbors, we reach out to them in ways that may change over time.
A friend of mine reminds me that the church is one of the few (or maybe the only) organizations that exists for the good of others. Too often our churches become all about us. Churches become political or social organizations with religious overtones. Their goal is self-gratification, not God-glorification. Church activities become little more than entertainment for the membership. This is why a preacher can have less character in his life as long as he has a good delivery in the pulpit (remember all of the controversies?). It is entertainment.
If churches do not make changes, churches will die. The most important change comes in our approach to God — we are his servants he is not ours. We await his beck and call, he does not await ours. When we recognize God’s place other things become less important. We can have “new wine in new wineskins.”
Keep The Light Burning!
Perry Greene
