Old and New

Old and New, or, as we like to say in church parlance - Traditional and Contemporary. I really don't like either label because both carry baggage. The above picture was taken at the Peoria Air Show on Saturday, July 11, 2009. Someone had some tickets and could not attend. My two sons and I could attend. It was exciting. And, it was cool to see an F-16 and a P-51 flying in formation. Both highly respected, both awesome to see in flight.

A lesson to be learned in church. Old is not bad and neither is new. Old does not mean musty and out of touch. The Bible is, in one sense, very old. But, to read it, you would think much of it was written yesterday. And, just because something is new does not mean it must be suspect. God does things in His own way and it is not always the same way. The greater prejudice today is probably against the old. There is a certain arrogance we have now believing that everything then was worse. Not so. But, those who cling to the old can also become entrenched and think anything new is subversive. We need both. And, since we do need both, that is why I have a philosophical problem with having a contemporary worship service and a traditional worship service. That smacks of being divisive and threatens the thought that both the new and the old can be of the Lord. Can we not lay aside our personal preferences for a bit?

I love the P-51. The sound is awesome and so is the sight. But, the F-16 is not shabby. Both can occupy an airshow. Old and New right beside one another.