February 5, 2014 (Wednesday)
I wore an overcoat to the cemetery Monday. The burial service was for Mrs. Wanda Blankenship, a very dear Christian lady whose life had honored and glorified Christ. The cemetery was Palms Memorial Gardens (also known as San Patricio Memorial Gardens). It sits all alone in the midst of much flat farm land with few buildings or trees in sight, which means that those who gather at graves in cold, windy weather know the full meaning of “wind chill.” That’s why I wore my overcoat.
I bought the coat from Foley’s in the Padre Staples Mall in Corpus some time in the 1980’s. That means it’s almost 30 years old. Except for its being out of style, it looks new, and serves its purpose very well. It keeps me warm. It looks new because it has scarcely been worn. It was on sale because hardly anyone in Corpus would buy it. Not much need for it here, because during most cold spells, a jacket does the trick.
Not everything is good when old. Old food can poison us. Old medicines can lose their potency. Old cars can break down on the road. Old heaters can cause fires or fill a house with carbon monoxide. Old clothing usually wears out. We are constantly replacing old things with new stuff.
Old things that have not been defaced or broken are called, “antiques,” and we place great value upon them. Generally, however, we just look at them and go to great pains to make sure they are kept safe. They rule us instead of serving us.
Churches sometimes make the mistake of thinking, “very old, very good.” Not necessarily. We no longer raise the windows and distribute cardboard fans to worshipers. Today we have carpets on the floors, cushions on the seats, sound systems and all the modern conveniences. We like it that way. But when it comes to adjusting to new things that may bring new people to Christ, we sometimes rebel or at least hesitate. “Old” does not mean, “bad,” but neither does it mean, “good.” The same holds for “New.”
Our mission has not changed; our methods are changing all the time. The questions are, “To what degree and for what purpose should we change?”
Something to think about (1 Corinthians 9:19-23 CET):
I am not anyone’s slave. But I have become a slave to everyone, so that I can win as many people as possible. When I am with the Jews, I live like a Jew to win Jews. They are ruled by the Law of Moses, and I am not. But I live by the Law to win them. And when I am with people who are not ruled by the Law, I forget about the Law to win them. Of course, I never really forget about the law of God. In fact, I am ruled by the law of Christ. When I am with people whose faith is weak, I live as they do to win them. I do everything I can to win everyone I possibly can. I do all this for the good news, because I want to share in its blessings.