March 24, 2026
Opening the medicine cabinet, I chose a pain killer that needed to be used up. Oops, expiration date was 13 years ago. More bottles were out of date. Hidden behind other containers, they age as we do, perhaps forgotten as our ailments come and go. What once was helpful, even necessary, may not age successfully. It may not cause harm but rather become less effective. Maybe overtaken by more-modern remedies.
We keep things out of habit, assumptions, and a reluctance to spend time assessing what works better now. That is much like being caught up by tradition and old ways of dealing with things, like the 1611 King James bible shown here. Times keep changing. We have to be open to new ways that are more useful or efficient. Society evolves and we must keep up with new ways of attracting interest, learning, and understanding. Of staying relevant in a changing world. Things move faster, attention spans are shorter, learning is less from lengthy text and more from speech, imagery, and colorful symbols. You can see this in the way magazines and television are evolving. Stasis leads to loss of interest by the public.
Many churches notice a slow loss of membership and growth of the unchurched, who may reject old traditions, archaic language and music, and organizational structures. We must find ways that appeal anew to those seeking God, helping inspire, excite, and enrich them with Jesus’ message. We must attract members who have grown up in different generations, even as we adapt, too.
