One of the problems that has plagued fire service, especially volunteer fire service, is how hard it is to enact change, even when that change is for good purposes. Resistance occurs even when people simply want to change some tactics. For instance, there is no doubt that the ultimate goal of a fire department once on scene of a structure fire is to put out that fire. How firefighters attack that blaze is constantly evolving due to new advances in equipment, new scientific understanding of fire behavior, and new materials used in building construction. While the tactics change, the stated goal stays the same: put the fire out.
When approached as to why they wish to keep doing things as they have always done them, "old heads" often simply respond with an answer that "We've always done it that way." If a potential new tactic could save my life of the life of a resident, then I'm going to need more evidence than "we've always done it that way" to convince me that I should continue to do it the old way. Naturally, because there are so many opinions and schools of thought with every fire scenario, I don't jump on the bandwagon every time something new comes along either... but once in a while, something new comes along that makes me think: "they might just be on to something."
I heard the following today on the Dave Ramsey show: We've always done it that way" doesn't make it right or the best option. Remember "good" can sometimes be the enemy of "best".
ASIDE: Often, I see the "newest" idea and give it a shot. What I routinely find out is that it is really nothing new at all. Typically, it is only a contextual adaptation to something that has been done for a long time. The context may change, but this "new and better" idea is typically just building on something we know has worked for years.
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Do you ever get that way in church? Do you ever feel like church continues to look, feel, and sound the same simply because we've always done it that way? I must admit that about two years ago I began to feel like Sunday mornings were just repetitive and that there wasn't a point.
I'm about to tell you something that you probably will never hear from the pulpit. There isn't a point. Well, there isn't a point if the only experience you are having is the Sunday morning event. Before Jesus' sacrifice, there was already temple worship. If our entire task as Christians is just to live daily as we wish but attend a service on Sundays, then Jesus had no point in giving his life. He gave his life to change the fact that people needed a community and a life change.
Over the past two years, I have been experiencing some things that I wish to share with you. In fact, I think it is so important, that this will be a recurring theme in upcoming blog posts. I want you to know that if you are a follower of Jesus who sits in the seat on Sunday morning and struggle to see the relevance in how that pertains to Christ and his body, you are not alone. There are many followers of Jesus who no longer attend a "big church" on Sunday mornings but are still experiencing a time rich with worship, bible study, community, and all the things that some well-intended larger gatherings simply do not have. These smaller gatherings make it a focus to share time together throughout the week, much like we hear about in the Bible (particularly in Acts.) Again, just like the example of fireground tactics above, I am not restating the goal that Christ set before us. That is a forever goal... but maybe we need to rethink our tactics and how we reach that goal in the current environment. Maybe we don't. Only one way to find out...
How does this relate to my opening thought? I often hear the excuse from Christians that they don't want to try something other than a large Sunday morning gathering because that's the way they have always done it. What a tragedy. Don't you want to wake and be able to say something other than "because I always have" when someone asks why you follow Jesus? Don't you want more than simply a broken record in your relationship with God? The great thing about what I intend to share over the next few posts is that it's really nothing new... just an adaptation to our present day western culture.
Again, just like the example of fireground tactics above, I am not restating the goal that Christ set before us. That is a forever goal... but maybe we need to rethink our tactics and how we reach that goal in the current environment. Maybe we don't. Only one way to find out...
On the other hand, if you attend a larger gathering and you do see relevance to you life, do have genuine community rather than just weekly small talk, do have shared time throughout the week, and do have evangelism and contact with those who do not follow Jesus, then I applaud you! I suppose that I should begin this process with the disclaimer that I am not making a claim that I have found the "one true way" and that big churches are failing to live up to Christ's purpose. I know many larger gatherings are wonderful representations of the story and purpose of Christ. This posting is not about proving how I can do it better. If, however, you simply feel like there has GOT to be something more than your particular Sunday gathering, then I invite you to join with me in seeking to find. "Seek, and ye shall find" as the good book says.
For today, I would like to share some things I have found that have been beneficial. Those resources are below. I encourage you to share your responses to these ideas as we learn together.
What is the current context of Western Culture?
This book is simply a unique way of combining our task of sharing the Gospel with a strong understanding of the current culture.
Who was this Jesus guy, really?
As of this posting, I am beginning this book. Just a few chapters in, I can already see that this book plans to redefine who this Jesus guy was. We think of the smiling Jesus with children on his knee. While that is part of it, this book states that he is also a "loving, wildly passionate, dcangerous, radically merciful, and always surprising" savior. Sounds like just the kind of person I like to hang out with! I wanna get to know that guy!
How do I center my life in such as way that I can join in this journey?
Centereda Kindle Store e-book by Kent Smith.
Ongoing thoughts about what Church is and how to "do" Church:
Stories from the Revolution blog
What other resources do you know of that can help us take a fresh look at this whole "church thing?"
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