Change for Christ's Sake (05/20/2010)

Weekly Pulpit -- Warren Sentinel -- May 20, 2010

Every so often I'll hear someone mention the country of Peru as if it is the most distant and foreign place on the planet. I find this strange since that is where I grew up. My parents are missionaries with Wycliffe Bible Translators and have spent much of the past forty years working there.

As a result, I grew up as a “multicultural kid.” I grew up knowing that different cultures do things and see things differently. And that what works well in one cultural setting may not work well in another. I had to learn to adapt how I carried myself, said things, and did things, depending on the particular cultural mix I found myself in. And I also learned to value different cultures and to be enriched by them – mine isn't better than theirs!

I learned even more about this while living in a dorm for international students while attending my first year at UCLA. There were literally students from all over the world. One day I took some dried laundry out of a dryer so that I could put my wet clothes in. A couple hours later I got a visit from the cousin of one of the female students that lived in the dorm. He was very upset that I had touched his cousin's clothes (which, unbeknownst to me, included some undergarments). Evidently this had caused her to feel tremendous shame and so I had to go and apologize to her for an offense I didn't even fully comprehend.

Why do I share all this? I share this because I believe it is relevant to the cultural shifts underway all around us. Not only are we becoming a much more multicultural nation, but the prevalent culture in which we live is also changing dramatically. I passionately believe that the ability of the Church to remain a relevant part of our society will depend in great part on its willingness to adapt to the changing cultural landscape.

Don't worry, I'm not suggesting that the Church change the Gospel. The Good News of Jesus is changeless! But how we relate to and communicate the Gospel – the tools we use, the way in which we communicate, and even the language that we use to communicate it – has to change in order for it to be heard, understood, and taken to heart.

A hymn written in the 1740's may be full of wonderful theological truths, but it may no longer touch someone's heart if it sounds even more foreign to them than Peruvian music. That is why I love hearing old hymns that have been updated with new music! And that is why I believe Churches should be increasingly open to music written today. And a sermon that is a lengthy monologue may have little or no impact on younger generations who are increasingly visually oriented and more accustomed to dialogue (just visit your local school or university if you don't believe me).

In our efforts to share the timeless truth of Jesus in a rapidly changing world, we should seek to incarnate (flesh out) the Good News of Jesus to everyone around us in whatever ways we can. Yes, change is hard, but it is not impossible. And change for Christ's sake is change followers of Jesus should believe in and be willing to make – whatever the cost. We should desire to be like the Apostle Paul, who wrote, “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.”

The Provocative Power of the Parable (04/08/2010)

Weekly Pulpit -- Warren Sentinel -- April 8, 2010

Jesus frequently taught in parables. Parables, simply put, are stories that define or describe something that is unknown with something that is known.

One of the most familiar is often called the “Parable of the Good Samaritan.” It tells of a man who was mugged and left for dead. Three people – a priest, a Levite, and a Samaritan – came across the man, but only the Samaritan stopped to help.

Jesus told this story in response to the question, “And who is my neighbor?” You see, the man asking this question wanted to feel justified that he was already loving his neighbors. But Jesus used the story to create a “teachable moment,” to help him have an “AHA! moment.” Jesus wanted him to understand that all people – even those he loathed – were his neighbors.

To say that Jesus was prompting him to get out of his comfort zone is an understatement. But that is what Jesus often did. The Gospel isn't about comfort, and it certainly isn't about preserving our prejudices or preferences .

Over the next few months I am going to be preaching the parables of Jesus. It has been said that, “Preaching a parable is a novice preacher's dream but often an experienced preacher's nightmare.” I'm neither, but I know it is going to be tough to preach Jesus' parables in a way that people nearly 2000 years later, who speak a different language, and live in a different setting, will have their own “AHA! moments” without having the provocative power of the parable domesticated by over explanation.

The first parable we are going to look at is found in Luke 5. Jesus tells it in response to being questioned about why his disciples don't pray and fast like other disciples. It speaks of taking cloth from a new garment to patch an old garment and of putting new wine into old wineskins. I can't remember the last time I saw someone with a patch on their clothing. In fact, torn jeans may actually cost more than untorn ones! And I don't know that much about wineskins.

But I do know that Jesus was communicating a very important truth and I'm going to do my best to help those to whom I preach to hear that truth. I'll give you a hint, I think it has something to do with change.

This parable ends with the curious statement, “And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, 'The old is better.' " I know enough about wine to know that old wine is usually more valued than new wine. But is it always better? Sometimes old wine goes bad. But I don't think Jesus is giving a Wineology lesson. Instead, I think Jesus is saying something about people who are unwilling to even give new wine a try! But I've given away too much already.

We at Rockland Community Church are trying something new. If you aren't part of a local church, I invite you to come worship with us. Beginning April 11, we will have a three-part worship service (see our ad or visit our website for more info). Come for the 30, 60, or 90 minutes that work best for you!