I don't think I've mentioned this before, but I work in a church. I am actually the weekday preschool director at a small church in a metropolitan suburb. It didn't used to be a small church. It used to be "the place to be." But like everything else, things change. Pop culture changes. Technology changes. People change. Communities change.
"We've never done it that way before."
"Why do we have to change it?"
"Every time someone new comes in, we change things."
This church is full of old people and grumpy people. Sorry to sound ugly, but that's the way it is. And some of the grumpy people are young, so that's not a hand in hand thing. The majority of the young families have gone on to other places. They are thinking of their children. They want to be entertained. That is the society we live in. It may not be ideal, but if we want to reach a community for Christ and that community wants to be entertained, then entertain them. Be bold and exciting! Why can't churches make worship fun? I don't care what style music it has, make it fun! I don't think Jesus was boring, anyway. People flocked to follow him. He must have had a magnetic personality.So, here's where I back pedal. Not all life and vitality comes from the young. So my apologies for the elderly grumpy pants photo. It was the funniest one I found. That's all. There are a lot of wonderful people at this church who want life and vitality and excitement and who are over age 60. But the future of the church is with the young. That's the reality.
This is such a random all over the place post, but it just crawled all over me today. It was a bad day, just dumb church stuff. But for example, I heard a couple of teachers fussing about the church not paying their nursery workers anymore. Huh? Why should a church pay their members to serve? Then the ranting about the new children's minister changing everything started. This church is struggling financially because people have left and some of the ones who are still there are not tithing for one reason or another. They even let a secretary go because they couldn't afford to pay her. Come on. Again, if they're struggling financially, why pay church members when they should be serving? (again, these are church members, not staff members, that's a different matter) Church members should serve willingly in an area they enjoy.
I sound like I am talking out of both sides of my mouth, serve but be entertained. But I'm not. It can be both ways! Church can be fun! It should be fun! I want my children to know that being a Christian is fun! I also want them to serve with a joyful willing heart! Not because they'll get something in return!
That is not what Christ modeled. He served, he washed people's feet, he got water from wells, he was the friend of the friendless.
The Bible hasn't changed, but if the world around it changes, changes should be made in how it is presented. Example: Leave it to Beaver was a hit in 1957. The Brady Bunch was a hit in 1969. The Office is a hit in 2008. We all still love to laugh, but the way sitcoms get us to laugh has changed over the years.
Again, I say, no. The Bible has not changed. It is still the instruction book we use to get through life on this earth. But yes, we do need to occasionally change up the way we read it. The way we present it. I'll dress up and read a book for Number One Son's class and they love it! I don't have to do that with Queenie's class, but I do have to read it with excitement for both!
And I certainly hope that I model a joyful servant life for my children, my family and my friends.
