"But We've Always Done It This Way"

Change.

Some hate to change. 

Some think any change is compromise.

Whether we like it or not, things...and people...change.

What worked a couple years ago may not work today. What works in Los Angeles may well not work in, say, Kansas City.

I'm pretty sure I know why people really don't like change -

It means work.

The gospel never changes. The methodology of presenting the gospel does...or at least should.

This article by Ron Edmundson maketh sense to me:

A SECRET TO SUCCESS IN MINISTRY YOU MAY NOT KNOW:

Imight have discovered a secret to the success of Jesus’ disciples.

And therefore my own ministry.

I never caught it until recently.

Read these verses and see if you see what I saw:

They were to wear sandals, but not put on an extra shirt.

So they went out and preached that people should repent. (Mark 6:9, 12 )

Remember what happened?

And they were driving out many demons,anointing many sick people with olive oil, and healing them. (Mark 6:13)

Did you catch what made them successful? Don’t miss it?

They wore sandals.

You get it. If I want people to respond.

If I want to see success in ministry.

If I want them to repent.

Maybe I need to wear sandals.

Maybe it’s not happening as much as I wish it would because I’m not wearing the right shoes.

I should wear sandals every Sunday morning. With my jeans or with my suit.

Sandals…the missing ingredient.

And, of course, I’m being funny. Or trying to be.

Okay, not funny, but I’m making a point.

Jesus gave very specific instructions, but they weren’t unusual to the disciples. Just specific. The people seeing the disciples wouldn’t have thought they were dressed strange either.

Jesus’ clothing instructions were within the context of the day.

It’s a reminder to me.

Methods change.

The way we do ministry changes. The clothes we wear. The songs we sing.

I don’t wear sandals. To preach. Catch me Monday through Saturday, or an hour after the last service, and you’ll find me in Biblical attire.

I dress in the context of the day. To the people I’m trying to reach. Styles change.

And, of course, there are other implications of this. Not just shoes. Context changes.

Here’s the point I’m making. If we are not careful, we begin to think our practices, the ones we’ve done so long, or the one we prefer, are Biblical, when really they are contextual.

Cultural.

And, context changes.

But the fact that people need to repent doesn’t.

And, so we minister within the context of the day, and preach truth.

Jesus modeled that for us.

If not…we’d all be wearing sandals.

(My California pastor friends are confused. You can ignore this post and enjoy your sandals.)