In January we bought a new set of water fountains for the foyer from the generous donations of our members. The old style one was leaking, the chiller had failed, and it wasn't accessible for our children or the handicapped. Enough money came in for us to get a dual unit with high and low fountains with wheelchair access. Now our kids, handicapped, and those in wheelchairs can have a drink of cold water.
However, today I just got finished hooking it up. It seems that technology has advanced, even in water fountains. The units were very compact and advanced with all sorts of electrical solenoids and switches. The mounting instructions were elaborate and very exacting. The templates left no room for error and had extremely tight tolerances. In the same way you now have to take your car to a professional, I guess you also have to have a professional install your water fountain. Nevertheless, I persevered and finally got the job done.
The Lord shows me things in times like these. While I am working, I'm thinking. I'm thinking, why does it have to be so complicated? The last fountain was very simple and delivered exactly what you wanted — a cold drink of water. Not only did it do it without all this extra technology, it did it for over 40 years without fail. The construction of the old one even was much better than these new units. Yes, you can still get a fountain like the old one, but at four times the price we paid for these high-tech ones. So here's how I relate this to something spiritual.
First let's look at worship. Simple hymns without even a chorus. Simple keys and chords. Easy to play. No amplification. Everyone loved then, you just opened the book and sang. Everyone could. Everyone would. That's the way it used to be. Nowadays you need 15 people behind the scenes just to make all the equipment run right. There are processors, amplifiers, videos projectors, mixers and more. It takes a technical degree just to make sense of it all. Now most people just sit and stare. It's too complicated. Let the professionals worship. We'll sit this one out.
Then there's the preaching. Where as you used to open the Bible and turn to your text and preach under the anointing, now you have to have several degrees in everything but the Bible, so people will have confidence in what you say (that is, after they check in out on Wikipedia with their smart phone).
Where the church use to depend on its own people to work the ministry, now we have to offer all sorts of products and services to the community to be viable. Christians comparison shop from one church to the next to get just the right look and feel for their worship and ministry. Doctrine has to be coupled with the right multimedia presentation or people discard it as irrelevant. It has to make them feel just right or they "aren't getting fed" properly. When did church have to become a four-star restaurant anyway?
For me, everyday they seem to try harder and harder to convince me I don't have enough material, resources, training, or commitment to do my job properly. Where once you depended on the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you, now you have all sorts of systems and programs telling you what you need to be doing next. You rush from one seminar to the next in fear you might not include the latest information in your presentation (Oh, by the way, what was once called a sermon is now a presentation).
It's gotten so complicated that even when the congregation shows up for church they are no longer sure what they are supposed to do next. It seems instead of seeking God and obeying his Word, we are just grasping at straws hoping the next thing we try will take us on a short cut to get there faster and easier. Isn't that the goal, more for less? Less Bible study, less prayer, and less time, money and effort.
“But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty,
so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”
2 Corinthians 11:3
It really not that complicated. Church was made to be simple. As I installed the water fountain, taking months to figure it out, I came to realize, why must I jump through all these hoops when all anyone wants from a water fountain is a cold drink of water. It ought to be simple.
Here's the kicker. As I searched for parts to connect the new fountain to our old plumbing I realized, I was looking for parts they don't make anymore. Talking with a salesman at Lowe's Building Supply, a revelation struck my mind: Not only are the parts I'm looking for outdated, so is my point of reference. They just don't do things that way anymore. I began to feel old.
It's like this: Instead of trying to find a way to hook up your old VCR to your new HDMI flatscreen,it's time to get with it and update your point of reference about how it's done today. Quit trying to make the old fit in with the new and learn how it's done now. If not, you'll find yourself cursing the darkness instead of enjoying the new light of revelation God is pouring forth.
As we have come through the transition period at Calvary, a new way of doing things has arisen. This is bringing about a change in the culture of our church. We are able to relax the restrictions and reinforce the leadership as a new spirit of co-operation increases. The love is coming back and new relationships are being built. Each week we realize its not like it was, but it IS good. The old things just don't fit, and instead of searching for adaptors and connectors, we realize it's time to start building something new, with new parts and new ways.
I believe our new prayer tower is a symbol of the rebuilding process. Like the fountains, we're not sure what we are getting into, and things are so different than before. However, we are marching forward because the tower represents the first step in the "new" work of Calvary. We are once again investing in the future. We have broken through "maintenance mode."
We could have struggled on with our old water fountain. Technically, it was so much better than the new ones we purchased. However, it's day has passed. Hooking up the new fountains was far more expensive and time consuming than expected, but the job is done, and we learned some things along the way. Next time I won't struggle so much with trying to make the new fit with the old. We'll just do it like they do it now. I find in myself that God is actually updating me. I thought I was with it. I thought I was instep with the Spirit, but I had actually fallen behind. I needed a whole new mind set.
Working with old ways a old knowledge really slowed down the process of hooking up our new fountains. I don't want the same to happen with this new move of God at our church.
“16 No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment,
for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.
17 Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break,
and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish:
but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.”
Matthew 9:16, 17
When I returned to look at these verses, and how they relate to this week's blog, I noticed a phrase I hadn't before: "and both are preserved." God is showing me that Calvary will not only bridge the generation gap, we will preserve the previous generation and the new generation to come. He is good.
“With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
Mark 10:27
Aren't you excited to be a part of Calvary now? The next two years are going to be the greatest two years we've seen yet.