New wineskins
What is spiritual? What’s the essence of what makes something meaningful to God, and therefore, to us?
Does He need a church that looks like a church? For that matter, does He need a building at all?
Does He like hymns? (I think He used to…) Does He get tired of a worship song if we sing it all the time, or is He just pleased when we put our heart into it, no matter how softly or loudly we sing?
Does He like it when we dress up and put on our Sunday best to go to church, or does He find that stuffy? Is it disrespectful to Him when we come in shorts and flip-flops, or does He appreciate the fact that we’re real about who we are?
And lest we pat ourselves on the back for being so progressive, let’s keep in mind – even if we don’t have teenage kids, it’s entirely possible that whatever we think is cool is, in reality, oh-so-very-not cool. Or at least, not anymore.
To me, the matter is this: am I content with my ideas of church to the point where I don’t want them to change because it would make me uncomfortable? Or am I willing to feel that discomfort for the sake of a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit in my church?
My prayer for today, for this year, is that my heart would stay soft; that I would have a passion to know what the next new wineskin should be so I don’t miss out on what God has in mind.
I like Neil's last statement, "If we fail to provide new wineskins, we will be ill-equipped to serve the "new wine"--the next generation of believers."
ReplyDeleteI know WellSpring is taking a hard look at our own wineskins...we have been doing church as a team for a long time together and that is awesome and fun and maybe kinda possibly stale!?!? Ouch. did I say stale? I admit that I like routine (engineer, duh!). But you know what I don't like? Finding out that I (and people like me) are responsible for someone not fitting in or feeling connected because I did not see the need for change.
I am not saying I know of someone or something that needs changing...I am just echoing Michele's prayer for me and other leaders at WellSpring to stay soft hearted and open to new wineskins. Isn't the True Wine (Jesus) worth sharing?
I think we have a thing or two to learn from our youth group. Everyone grows up but no one ever leaves!
ReplyDeleteAs long as we are serving God it does not matter to me what wine skins we are in.
ReplyDeleteI am well aware of myself aging. Now instead of me being the same age as the teens on the sitcoms I am the age of the parents of teenagers.
If I can do something different to attract new believers that is great! After all I was attracted here once too.