CHANGE

CHANGE .....................................................................2-3 BIBLE 101: RECOGNIZING JESUS ........................... 4-5 community life / HEBREWS 13:8....................... 6-7 JOB TRANSITIONS ....................................................... 8 ALONE TOGETHER ........................................................9 Making things new ................................................10 CONTACT US .................................................................11 IN A WORLD OF CHANGE AND TRANSITIONS..........12

by Lead Pastor Joel Wight Hoogheem (joel@lordoflife.org)

It was obvious the bathroom needed work when a mushroom was growing out of the floor. It was the bathroom in the first house Karen and I owned and when we called in a plumber to check out what was going on, it became clear that the entire subfloor under the toilet was rotting. We were rather fortunate that the floor didn’t give way. We needed to make a change to our house— the subfloor, the flooring, and the toilet were all replaced. In our homes, we know that things need to be updated and replaced. Some things wear out. Other things go out of style. Some additions are needed. Some spaces need to be opened up to allow for a better flow. When the bones of the house are in good shape, most everything else can be changed and updated over time. The bones of our theological house are strong. The Church is founded on the good news of Jesus Christ. It’s what Jesus says to Peter in Matthew 16:18: “On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” Or as the hymn goes, “How firm a foundation, O saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in Christ Jesus the Word!”

And just as our homes need to be updated and renovated over time, so does our theological house. The Bible even shows us this very change. In Acts 15:29 the apostles made a declaration about eating meat: “you [must] abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood from what is strangled…” Yet in 1 Corinthians 10:2526 a change is made: “Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience, for the earth and its fullness are the Lord’s.”

This renovation of the meat-eating guidelines is an example of what Brian Zahnd calls “creative theology” in his book, When Everything’s on Fire. It’s not that the church was being inconsistent or morally relativistic. It’s that they lived in a different time and place, so they had to adapt and change their theological house while keeping the foundation the same.

The church has always been in the process of renovation, change, and updating throughout the centuries. For example, worship music was only unaccompanied vocals for centuries. The organ was not used as an instrument in worship until the 10th or 12th century. It was a huge innovation and a break with tradition! Imagine the uproar! Our Christian tradition has proved durable, however, because of its flexibility. Our theological house needs to be renovated over time. Today is no different. What is the role of technology in the life of the church? How do we welcome and relate to people who look, act, and believe differently than we do? What does it look like to love our neighbors as we can be instantly connected to people from every corner of the world? How is the nature of God most faithfully communicated to people today? These are all big questions, and it is an exciting time to be the church and practice our creative theology. We are in good company throughout history as we renovate our theological house. We know our foundation is secure. So, how do we make sure no mushrooms start growing through the floor?