Some things change quickly and often. And we either think that the changes are great and will make everything better or we wonder why they are changing them in the first place.
There were people who wondered why we would want to change from horses to cars. It must be a fad that will go away soon. There were people who wondered why we would want to fly. Who needs to get someplace that fast?
Jesus was bringing change to people who needed it, but weren’t really looking for the change he was bringing. And it is change that goes to the core of the church. What it means to be those who follow Christ is in a large way defined in this set of events in Jesus’ life.
Jesus sits at a feast where there are tax collectors. The Pharisees complain about this, not to Jesus directly, but to his disciples. It ends up that Jesus hears the complaints, but not because this is the way to bring the complaints, but being Jesus, he knows. So he responds. He responds to two complaints, one that he is eating with the tax collectors and sinners and the other that his disciples do not fast.
These complaints have a common problem with them and they therefore have a common answer that Jesus gives. He answers each a bit first. He says it is the sick who need a doctor in response to eating with the tax collectors and sinners. He speaks of a wedding banquet in response to the disciples not fasting as the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees do. But then he tells this parable of clothing and wineskins that responds to the real problem with both complaints.
Think about this first part of the parable. An old garment is torn and we want to repair it. We don’t repair clothes often anymore, but then it was more common. Even our parents and grandparents can remember darning socks and patching pants and shirts. I had a fair number of jeans with patches on the knees.
But when clothes were patched, it was done with cloth that was also older. My mother had a bunch of old jeans that were for cutting patches out of. Old jeans had been worn and washed and were already shrunk. Now, of course, we buy them preshrunk and pre patched and pre ripped. If one put a new piece of cloth on the old to patch it, it would shrink and rip off the pants.
And why would one take a good pair of pants and cut part of it out to fix what is old and broken. If you have the new ones, wear them and save the old to fix them later. Or discard them if they are of no value anymore.
I know that some pairs are comfortable, but when they are no longer useful we should get rid of them. Or at least only use them for working or around the house where no one else will see them. But when we have to be around others we wear the ones that are good and without tears, holes or patches.
He then goes on about the wineskins. Once a wineskin has been used it cannot be reused. When it used the first time it stretches as the wine continues to ferment. When the wine is placed in the wineskins it has a few months yet to ferment. At the end of that time the skin is about as stretched as it can get and the alcohol content is about 12%, like much of our wine today.
But the skin is stretched to its limit. It will not shrink down and be able to be used again. It will require another skin for the next seasons wine. If you tried to use it again, the wine would burst the skin as it fermented.
Both pictures in the parable speak of something old and something new and how they are not able to be used together. The new will break the old. And to take part of the new to patch the old makes no sense.
People wanted to hang on to what they had and maybe take some of what Jesus taught to fix a few things with what they have. He tells them that they have to move on and take hold of what he brings and make this new thing the definition of what they are and how they worship God.
Taking part in Christ's church brings change. Not just patching us up a bit, it means a complete change. We don't get a patch that makes us work a bit better, it is no less than a complete system change. We are made to be something new and therefore to take part in something new.
Don't settle for being a little better. Let yourself be completely changed and be made new in Christ.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
Remaining to Serve
I was talking with Walt Brouwer, who works for our classis helping pastors and churches be better pastors and churches (he has a better title, but I like the way that sounds better). He says there are four habits that we as preachers, congregations and individuals need to follow to make us healthy churches. And having heard them I found them to be very helpful to me and hopefully to the whole church.
The first is what we do each Sunday. We need to be at Sunday worship. But more than just attend we need to take part. In the music, in the prayers, in the preaching. We should not come in and just passively receive. We should come in actively engaged and ready to worship God and receive from his here as well. That I wrote of last week.
The second thing is that we need to be involved in small groups. Look at the church in Acts and see the tremendous growth. It grew out of the fact that they were meeting together in their homes. Small groups began in the early church and are a source of contact with the whole church. They should be our primary source of pastoral care as we share with others, pray together and stand with each other in need.
Small groups can also be a great source of growth for those involved in them. People speak of the fellowship, but also of the closeness the group develops in God. They are drawn close to God and are changed by him as they gather. Whether it is daily, weekly or any other pattern of meeting.
Then from these we go to serve somewhere. It is important that what is happening in worship and small groups be translated into service. Note that when Jesus calls the disciples it is not an intellectually journey that he calls them to. He does not say to them that they will learn these things, memorize certain sections of scripture or recite creeds and confessions. Those can be helpful things and he modelled a knowledge of God’s word and God’s will and plan for the world. But he called people to act.
John 15.8, you will bear much fruit. Verse 10, if you obey my commands. Verse 14, you are my friends if you do what I command. Verse 17, this is my command, love one another. All actions. We can find more as we take time to read more of God’s word.
There are many ways to serve as a member of a church. Teaching ministry. Serving ministries. People need to be involved in different parts of the church to make it a working organism.
There are opportunities to serve outside of the church. The schools need people to help out with serving in their lunch programs. Stop at the elementary school office or call them. They’ll be happy to have assistance. They are often looking for people to help with other things in the schools as well. Local food banks need people to bring food in and work in distributing. Many local groups need volunteers and the church can offer those to help outside of ourselves.
Then Walt disappointed me. He had Sunday worship, Small groups and Serve somewhere. All “S’s”, but then he lost his alliteration. The fourth thing is bring it home. Don’t just get a bit here, in a group or in serving. Take it home and speak of it with your family.
So, when we pick up education ministries in the fall, young people should tell their parents what they are learning and make sure that the parents remember it as well. Teach your parents while they are still able to be formed.
Parents, think about how often you have challenged your kids to live what they have learned, or let them know what you have learned and helped them to see how to live it. There are many opportunities, such as how the kids treat others, how they do with their school work, respect for authority. We can live those out as we speak of our co-workers and bosses. We can live it out in front of them as we assist our neighbors. Opportunities are endless.
Christ tells us to remain in him. He remains with us, yet we see are to remain in him and do what he commands. Know what he commands, but do it as well and be the church that God has called us to be, do what he has called us to do.
The first is what we do each Sunday. We need to be at Sunday worship. But more than just attend we need to take part. In the music, in the prayers, in the preaching. We should not come in and just passively receive. We should come in actively engaged and ready to worship God and receive from his here as well. That I wrote of last week.
The second thing is that we need to be involved in small groups. Look at the church in Acts and see the tremendous growth. It grew out of the fact that they were meeting together in their homes. Small groups began in the early church and are a source of contact with the whole church. They should be our primary source of pastoral care as we share with others, pray together and stand with each other in need.
Small groups can also be a great source of growth for those involved in them. People speak of the fellowship, but also of the closeness the group develops in God. They are drawn close to God and are changed by him as they gather. Whether it is daily, weekly or any other pattern of meeting.
Then from these we go to serve somewhere. It is important that what is happening in worship and small groups be translated into service. Note that when Jesus calls the disciples it is not an intellectually journey that he calls them to. He does not say to them that they will learn these things, memorize certain sections of scripture or recite creeds and confessions. Those can be helpful things and he modelled a knowledge of God’s word and God’s will and plan for the world. But he called people to act.
John 15.8, you will bear much fruit. Verse 10, if you obey my commands. Verse 14, you are my friends if you do what I command. Verse 17, this is my command, love one another. All actions. We can find more as we take time to read more of God’s word.
There are many ways to serve as a member of a church. Teaching ministry. Serving ministries. People need to be involved in different parts of the church to make it a working organism.
There are opportunities to serve outside of the church. The schools need people to help out with serving in their lunch programs. Stop at the elementary school office or call them. They’ll be happy to have assistance. They are often looking for people to help with other things in the schools as well. Local food banks need people to bring food in and work in distributing. Many local groups need volunteers and the church can offer those to help outside of ourselves.
Then Walt disappointed me. He had Sunday worship, Small groups and Serve somewhere. All “S’s”, but then he lost his alliteration. The fourth thing is bring it home. Don’t just get a bit here, in a group or in serving. Take it home and speak of it with your family.
So, when we pick up education ministries in the fall, young people should tell their parents what they are learning and make sure that the parents remember it as well. Teach your parents while they are still able to be formed.
Parents, think about how often you have challenged your kids to live what they have learned, or let them know what you have learned and helped them to see how to live it. There are many opportunities, such as how the kids treat others, how they do with their school work, respect for authority. We can live those out as we speak of our co-workers and bosses. We can live it out in front of them as we assist our neighbors. Opportunities are endless.
Christ tells us to remain in him. He remains with us, yet we see are to remain in him and do what he commands. Know what he commands, but do it as well and be the church that God has called us to be, do what he has called us to do.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Preparation
Church attendance is declining. Participation in ministry, particularly leadership, is left to a few who may do so out of necessity more than calling. Finances in many churches are low. No offense intended to those leading in churches. I am sure that we all know that God is qualifying us. But if, not just the few leaders, or some parts of the church, but the whole church, understood the holiness of God we would be worshipping more often and more wholeheartedly. We would be taking part in all that we could using the gifts that we have been given. We would be giving as generously as God was giving to us.
Something needs to change in our churches. We can point to lots of things and to many other people. But this is never effective. We need to look at what we can change. We can change ourselves. We cannot change others. We can only change ourselves.
We need to see how we should be responding to the holy God before whom we stand and worship. Not just today, but in all of our life. God is holy and deserves worship. That is the number one call of the church and when we see that we worship a holy God, that will bring us back to a place we should be.
Do you want to have that vitality in worship? Do you want to come and worship a holy God? Meditate on God’ word to prepare for worship each week. Maybe this week take Psalm 63 and make it preparation all week for next Sunday. Look at the holiness of God this week in preparation for gathering to worship him in his holiness. Read some of the other Psalms, 53, 66, 84... Prepare to be part of a body that sees God in his holiness, worships him and is kept in him.
Something needs to change in our churches. We can point to lots of things and to many other people. But this is never effective. We need to look at what we can change. We can change ourselves. We cannot change others. We can only change ourselves.
We need to see how we should be responding to the holy God before whom we stand and worship. Not just today, but in all of our life. God is holy and deserves worship. That is the number one call of the church and when we see that we worship a holy God, that will bring us back to a place we should be.
Do you want to have that vitality in worship? Do you want to come and worship a holy God? Meditate on God’ word to prepare for worship each week. Maybe this week take Psalm 63 and make it preparation all week for next Sunday. Look at the holiness of God this week in preparation for gathering to worship him in his holiness. Read some of the other Psalms, 53, 66, 84... Prepare to be part of a body that sees God in his holiness, worships him and is kept in him.
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