Good Ole days....

Ah, the good ole days......

Have you been around a person that still lives in the memory of the past? Their entire life is about what it used to be like, how good things used to be, and on. I remember when we used to buy soda from the nickle store! I remember...and on.

But our memories of the good ole days are not always accurate. I remember when I was a kid, I used to spend time at my grandparent’s cottage. I remember the cool nights, the lake water splashing, and playing Jarts (yes, the ones with the steel tips!). Some nostalgia there for sure. I also remember, when I dig into it, being scared that we left the window open and I was always scared that I would see somebody in the window!!!

We can learn from the past, but living in the past, does nothing to help our present, and certainly not the future. This can happen pretty much anywhere, our home life, our work life, even our church life. Church is one of those that while we keep the core of our faith, the focus on Scripture, sharing Christ, and more, we are having to do that differently because the world today is different than it was even 20 years ago.

As an example, when I was in my teens, a lot of my friends were going to church because their parents made them go. They were at least exposed to hear the Gospel. But I noticed that many of my friends, and school mates were not there once they were out of the house. They had broke the tradition. And their kids, ranging from very young to kids in their twenties, have never been forced to go to church. Zero exposure. Family looks different too. Single parents is very normal now as well.

And our society very much likes to get things delivered to them, rather than going places. The pandemic certainly accelerated that desire. We have many, for good reasons, that are not coming back into a building. But there are also many that will never step into a church because they have no interest in going in.

It is not to say that church, the building, is not needed, because it is. It is a respite from the world for many. But it does mean that we need to refocus on where we put many of our efforts. It was easy to come Sunday, and even bring friends, and let the pastor engage with them. Now, it is up to us, and frankly, that is the way it should have always been. Jesus told us that it was His command for us to go into the world and share the Gospel and then train them in Scripture. A wonderful mission!

We all have so many wonderful memories, and sharing them is always a great way to bring those back to life for the moment. That should not, however, keep us in the past, but understand, like the followers of Jesus 2,000 years ago, we have to constantly find new ways to connect with our neighbors and community.

Connect.Grow.Serve