Things sure have changed in the church during the course of my lifetime.
When I was growing up, the King James Version was the only translation of the Bible that I knew existed. Now there are all sorts of translations to choose from.
I remember when we used to hold books in our hands when we sang (I think they were called “hymnals”), and we had to turn pages between every song. Now we have the words projected up on a screen.
People used to dress up more on Sunday morning. Now it’s rare to see a man in church wearing a necktie. Jeans are acceptable in most churches.
Preachers used to stay in one place on the platform, mostly hidden behind a huge wooden pulpit. Now, they use see-through pulpits (or no pulpit at all) and they pace back and forth across the stage.
To say that music has changed in the church would be a great understatement.
I thought that I had seen every kind of change imaginable. Then I saw something I had never seen before—I attended a church service where the preacher read the Scripture from his cell phone. His cell phone!
Now I can put up with a lot. I can get accept new translations and off-the-wall singing accompanied by every instrument known to man. I can tolerate a more casual dress code and the absence of a pulpit. But you can’t preach to me from your cell phone! A guy has to draw the line somewhere!
OK, I’m kidding. I understand that God is still “making all things new”. I’m thankful to be living in a time when exciting things are happening in the kingdom. As long as we stay true to the Word, we can survive—and perhaps even embrace—the changes that come our way.
Let’s remember the Beatitude that isn’t in the Bible, but perhaps should be: Blessed are the flexible, for they will not be bent out of shape!
