Attempting
to navigate life while staring into the rear-view mirror will lead inevitably
to a crash. We will miss today’s opportunities if we are desperate to
re-capture the happiness of another time in life. If we live in the past, we almost certainly
will live in a place that never really existed. History gets rewritten. We tend
to minimize the difficulties or failures.
Try to think back even to one year ago. The stuff you were dealing with
on a daily basis is largely forgotten. Your recall is limited to banner moments.
The ordinary moments - the flat tires, broken appliances, frustrations,
arguments... they have disappeared into the fog of memory recalled only with
great effort!
Christians
fall into the trap of nostalgia in the faith walk, too. Some complain about the
state of the church, criticize the youth, and/or long for the preaching of another
era. "It's not the way it used to
be," they sadly say; and they are right! Change is inevitable! Any organization
that makes keeping all things exactly the same - and many do - become less and
less effective. The world moves on and so must we. A
living Christian must grow. But, you say, "Jerry, Christianity is
ancient. Traditions are important." And you're right. The Bible assures us that "Jesus Christ is the same; yesterday,
today, and forever." The
celebrations of Communion, baptism – remembering the birth, death, and
Resurrection of the Lord Jesus – keep us anchored to the core truths of our
faith. Some traditions are helpful
because they preserve continuity in the Christian community. And I believe that
novelty, just trying to be on the 'cutting edge’ to keep things interesting for
the restless, just lead us on a wild goose chase after every new fad. The Bible
warns about being "immature like
children … tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching."
(Ephesians 4:14, NLT)
How
the Gospel is communicated; the forms of our corporate worship, will change
over time. Songs that moved us, that shaped our expressions, will be replaced
by the songs of new artists who are expressing their love for Christ with new
rhythms and melodies. That is true, but believe
me - each generation's innovations in Christian worship has provoked the ire of
the previous generation!
Now,
let me speak personally to you.
·
Are
you missing out on what God wants to do in your life TODAY, because you're
attempting to recreate the spiritual experiences of another time?
·
Do
you fondly remember a decade when, in your memory anyway, God seemed so close to you?
Rejoice
in that! Don't try to erase yesterday. My
great memories of family times with my kids are foundational to my love for
them today. But, if I attempt to relate
to my kids who are now adults like I did when they were pre-adolescents, I'll
alienate them from me. So it is with
the Lord. What He did for you and with you yesterday is foundational for your
walk with Him today, but those things are past, and He's doing a new thing in
you, in me!
Ask
God to help you to see and appreciate what He's doing today. If you think the Church has gone a little
'off the rails,' pray for those who
lead, asking the Spirit to make His Presence known - and be ready for God to do
a new thing - in you, in your church, in this world! Consider Jesus' parable - “No one
tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and uses it to patch an old garment.
For then the new garment would be torn, and the patch wouldn’t even match the
old garment. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. The new wine would
burst the old skins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins." (Luke
5:36-37, NLT)
Here’s
a word from the Word. Pray for new vision for the future as you read it. “Sing a
new song to the Lord, for he has done wonderful deeds. He has won a mighty
victory by his power and holiness." (Psalm 98:1, NLT) And remember this, about vision for the
future: “Eyes that look are common. Eyes that see are rare.” – Oswald
Saunders