NEW VERSES NEW

Isn't it so interesting how if you put the word, "new" on a product or something else it gets our attention? I'm not always sure that we in reality should use the word new when it is applied to something changed. But that happens quite often.

Today there are a great many churches that seem to want to use the word new as part of their name. Or if not new, then some other word that implies what they do is innovative and different from tradition.

Of course the reality is that when you do start something that is different from what came before, there will be a point reached where it will be copied and no longer unique or new. I can think of a number of times when some fellowship was created by people that were unhappy with a given tradition or denomination.

Later, naturally, they too fell prey to the dynamics of such transitions. They would create their own traditions and rituals and before long they weren't really any different than what came before them.

Only to the people who were involved they insisted what they were doing was more truthful or obedient to the Lord. Whether it real is, I can't say. I just know that human nature is such that replacing one tradition with another seldom seem to actually purge a given circle of believers of the problems that existed in a given denominations approach.

To me, God's truths are timeless. And one's relationship with Christ ought to be focused on the relationship and not any particular group of traditions that embellish the relationship.

Simply taking a give group of traditions and giving them a different name to me doesn't actually change anything, even though too many defend that it does. We are, after all, souls in need of a savior and not a divine taskmaster.

What you get when you focus on traditions instead of faith and letting God's spirit do the leading is the subtle lure of regarding keeping the ritual as being an expression of faith. That can lead to going through the motions of worshipping without the passion of faith or the flame burning in the heart to seek the Lord just out of love.

Traditions are not by themselves bad. But if they become a substitute for faith then they can be harmful no matter how new we claim they happen to be.

Moving along God's highway requires the use of whatever vehicle of faith the Lord grants us to use to travel. Putting a new paint job on the vehicle might make it look different, but if we don't concern ourselves with keeping the engine of the soul tuned up, then it might be nothing more than beauty without substance or another version of self-righteousness.

Perhaps life will never afford us all the newness we crave. But there are times when new truly means respective that God grants us the new as it will benefit us in our relationship with him.