Something New January 28th, 2024
Gracious God, open our minds to understanding, teach our hearts to love, and strengthen our wills to carry out the mission of your Word. Amen.
What struck me most in today’s scripture readings can be best expressed in the opening lines of our Response Psalm which went like this, “O sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.” Here the author is telling us not only to sing blessings to God and tell everyone of his message of salvation, but also to do so in a new way.
And this same theme appears in our Gospel lesson when Jesus, early in his ministry, goes to the town of Capernaum and on the sabbath entered the synagogue and got up and taught the congregation. This is what took place, “They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. … They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, ‘What is this? A new teaching—with authority!” Once again, we hear in these words the fact that Jesus was doing something new.
Our reading says, "And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes." There was something very special about Jesus’ words. They were different from the scribes who usually taught in the synagogue. They would quote sayings from past learned men, they wouldn’t offer any new truth, or new idea, but the scribes would just reinforce what had been said before or talk about the laws they wanted followed for their benefit.
But Jesus came and spoke with authority. He didn’t quote any past scholars; he was the sole authority for his words. He had authority, the authority of God himself. That respected word of Jesus was a word which was needed and was best for God’s children. He taught the people of the congregation in a totally new way, in a manner which they had never heard before. And because of this, we’re told, “At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.” Not that Jesus was looking for fame, he was concerned only with the well-being and salvation of God’s people.
At minimum, the passage above encourages us to stop assuming that “the way things are” must always equal “the way things have to be.” We should look for opportunities to try something new. And something new is a timely thing to consider as we have started our journey in the new year. It’s a good time to look back over the changes of the past year, consider which were good and which were not so good, which changes we should keep and which we should discard.
And over the past year there have been a number of changes, with some endings and some new beginnings. Certainly not all the changes have been good, for one thing, we have lost some of our long time, dedicated members who contributed so much to our church, they cannot be easily replaced. We’ve also gone through the closing of our sister church, Sutherland’s River and the closing of a house of worship is never good. We saw our music director, Katey Aucoin, go off to further her education at Mount Allison University. We’ll miss her as well, her ministry of music brought so much to our worship service.
But, as the saying goes, “When God closes a door, he opens a window”. We’ve been blessed to welcome Margaret Weir as our new music director, and she has brought her own God-given gift of musical talents as she leads our choir. As well, our choir has doubled in size, thanks to new members and the choir from the River joining in. So, yes there have been changes, but not all of them bad.
And yet, many times we get stuck in our old ways of thinking and doing things, and we resist change. But change is inevitable, and although it can be frightening, it can also be a blessing. Change can help us grow, learn, and adapt to new situations. Change can also bring us closer to God and to each other. We fear the unknown, we doubt ourselves, we worry about what others might think. But new ideas are not always something to be afraid of. They are opportunities to grow, to learn, to improve ourselves and our relationship with God. They can be a part of our spiritual development on our journey of faith.
What we need to understand is that the church is not a fixed institution, but a living organism. The church is always changing, because the church is made of people, and people are always changing. The church is also guided by the Holy Spirit, who leads us into all truth and inspires us to follow God's will. The church should learn from the past but is not meant to be stuck in the past, but to be relevant and responsive to the present and the future. The Bible encourages us to evolve as God’s people and in written in a way to guide us through these changes no matter what time period we are in. It also tells us that He is the same today, tomorrow and in the future and he guides us in the changes of the world.
Think about it. How many times have you discovered something new that made your life better? Maybe it was a new book, a new song, a new hobby, a new friend, a new perspective. New ideas are everywhere, and they are waiting for us to embrace them.
But how do we do that? How do we open our minds and hearts to new ideas? Well, first of all, we need to be curious. We need to ask questions, seek answers, explore possibilities. We need to be willing to learn from others, especially those who are different from us. We need to listen more than we talk and understand more than we judge. Throughout it all, we need to keep God at the center of all we do and remember Jesus’ teachings, but we need to be ready for change, as it may be part of God’s greater plan.
And that's why sometimes we need to embrace change in the church, not resist it. We need to trust that God is in control, and that he has a plan for his church. We need to be open to new ideas, new methods, new expressions of faith. To be willing to let go of some of our traditions, our preferences, our comfort zones, if they hinder us from fulfilling God's mission. We need to be humble enough to admit that we don't have all the answers, and that we can learn from others who are different from us.
Change in the church is not a threat, but an opportunity. An opportunity to grow in faith, love, and service. An opportunity to reach out to more people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. An opportunity to glorify God in new and creative ways.
So, we need to be courageous. We need to face our fears and doubts and overcome them with faith and hope. We need to take risks and try new things, even if they are challenging or uncomfortable. We need to stand up for what we believe in and share our ideas with others.
Certainly, embracing new ideas is not easy, but it is rewarding. It is how we grow as individuals and as a community. It is how we make progress and create positive change. It is how we honour God and his creation. So let us embrace new ideas with curiosity, humility, and courage. Let us be open-minded and open-hearted. Let us be seekers and learners. Let us be innovators and leaders. Let us be the best version of ourselves that we can be.
I believe that God wants to revive his church in this generation. Although we don’t always hear about the good things happening here in Canada, in studying and looking at the research there are some amazing transformations happening throughout the world and a lot of them are with younger people who are looking for something more, they are looking for God. We are even starting to see some of that even here locally, many younger people are fed up with the ways of the world. They are looking for a better way.
I believe that God wants to pour out his Spirit upon us in a fresh and powerful way. I believe that he wants to awaken us from our slumber and stir us from our apathy. I believe that he wants to use us as his instruments of revival in this world. But the question is: do we want revival? Are we willing to let go of our agendas, our traditions, our preferences, our comforts? Are we willing to let God have his way in us and among us? Are we willing to let him shake us, mold us, fill us, send us? It can sound frightening, but remember God is with us and we can always rely on him for guidance.
Let’s not be afraid of change in the church but welcome it with joy and gratitude. And let us pray for God's guidance and wisdom as we face change in the church. Let us support each other and work together as we navigate change in the church for the good of all. And let us remember that no matter how much the church changes, God never changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is faithful, he is good, and he loves us with an everlasting love.
Our closing prayer this morning is an encouragement to embrace change and new ideas. It’s attributed to Sir Francis Drake, an English naval commander and explorer of the 16th century who is best known for his part in defeating the Spanish Armanda off the English coast at Cornwall. It’s known as The Prayer for Disturbance.
Let us Pray:
Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves, when our dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little, when we arrive safely because we have sailed too close to the shore.
Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess, we have lost our thirst for the waters of life. Having fallen in love with life, we have ceased to dream of eternity; and in our efforts to build a new Earth, we have allowed our vision of the new heaven to dim.
Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly, to venture on wider seas where storms will show your mastery; where, losing sight of land, we shall find the stars. We ask you to push back the horizons of our hopes; and to push into the future in strength, courage, hope, and love. Amen