Changes... It's All Good

My kids started school last week and I am in awe about how time changes things.  Not only did I turn 40 this summer, but now I have two kids who are in 5th Grade: their last year in Elementary School.  I have a son in 3rd Grade... and I wonder what happened? 

Today is the sixth anniversary of my first day as the pastor of my congregation. 

Tomorrow is my twelfth wedding anniversary.

My twins will turn eleven on Friday.  Where has the time gone?  And as time has moved on nothing has stayed the same.

It works that way in faith.  There are always changes.  In Mark 7 some Pharisees and scribes come all the way from Jerusalem to see Jesus and they are flabbergasted to find that his disciples do not wash their hands before they eat.  Now I know this would flabbergast many of you as well.  With all the germs that you can pick up in the strangest of places, washing hands before eating is important part of healthy eating habits.  The Pharisees are interested in such unclean habits both as a matter of hygiene but also as a matter of faith.  The Law and traditions of faith have always stated that its done this way.  "Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders (Mark 7:5)?"

What we learn in both the disciples' actions and Jesus' response is that in all matters of life change is constant.  It may have been that the ritualistic washing of hands and products used in the preparation of food was the right way for people to live out their faith at one point.  But now that is not the case.  Jesus "declared all foods clean (7:19)" in this text because what the Word reveals is that any act of faith or tradition much be done in light of the love God has for us and the expectations God has placed on upon us through this love.  Tradition never out weighs love.  What comes out of your mouth and out of your heart should be refection of the love God has placed in you.  All too often however, our actions reflect the sin that is always with us and constantly a part of us.  Because sin is unchanging we need to be careful and aware of dark directions wickedness will take us.  Thankfully God's love is unchanging as well.  And in order to live your life as a reflection of that love it means allowing your response to love to change.

Has my relationship with my kids changed over the years?  You bet it has.  I cannot live the same rituals as a father of 5th Graders as I did as a father of preschoolers, no matter how much I would like to pull out that Thomas DVD to calm my kids down

Has my relationship with my wife changed over twelve years?  You bet it has.  The ups and downs of life impact how we work as partners and how relate to each other. 

Has my congregation changed over the decades as well?  You bet it has.  My church would hardly recognize the work that was done in the name of this church over the years... nor would they recognize what is done today in the effort of making Christ known to all.

Serving Christ and going to Church has changed.

But this is certain: though my work as a father is different today than seven years ago, if it all has been done in a spirit of love, then it was right!  And God blessed the effort.

Though the ministry happening in my congregation is different today than it was in 1982, if that work was done in a spirit of love, then it was right and God blessed the effort.  If it was done solely in a spirit of "we-have-always-done-it-this-way" then chances are the motivation is off and the results might be as well.

Changes are constant because people change, contexts change, needs change, and techniques change.  The Word remains... it doesn't change.  But the way we interpret Scripture does change.  The message of God's love for us through Christ remains... it doesn't change.  But the way we express that love needs to change because the world is always in flux.  A different world will not hear us if we don't switch up the song when necessary.

Isaiah poetically reveals that the grass withers and the flower fades, but the Word of God remains forever.  This is true.  But through the years this constant truth about God's love revealed in the Word has moved the church to change its view on slavery for example (even though many passages taken out of context could still be used to support slavery).  As we see in Mark 7 as well, faithful people has even been moved by Christ to change their view on the dietary laws: laws so important in some parts of Scripture.  For the sake of the Word, the Gospel, and the mission to sincerely live out God's love, change had to happen.  To fight off our natural tendencies to sin... to divide... to judge... change had to happen.  It had to happen, has to happen, and will need to happen.

Look at your life. Change has happened all around you, weather you like it or not.  But the Word remains!!!  Alpha and Omega is ready to lead us in change... and comforts us through the change with the arms and hands of hope and joy: which never change.

Finally: Change we can believe in.