I habitually read old books. I like old books that say new things. I am working on discovering how a strong church that gathers well on weekends can also be a powerful missions effort. Actually I have a great deal of experience at being successful in this effort.
In my reading I came across a reference to a book written in 1925. It was “The Christ of the Indian Road,” by the famous missionary E. Stanly Jones. I have been reading a great deal on missional care and I found this book had some of the most profound insights on the topic I have come across.
Essentially Jones makes a case for making the gospel intelligible within all cultures. He asserts that the message must be accessible in ways and in language the listeners understand. And above all we must be pure-hearted servants with caring love to be heard.
I have learned to give a suspicious look at anything purporting to be NEW. I have two basic concerns:
- Often NEW trends resemble great marketing campaigns. No one ever sold books or events saying, ‘this is a conference for those interested in OLD stuff.” I think trends are often over-stated before proven because they offer a channel for new products.
- NEW often means an air of superiority toward those who aren’t so NEW.
I have had the benefit of watching many NEW patterns come and go and see a lot of OLD stuff thrive. Both are loaded with problems usually. And both can be filled with life.
I am suspicious of NEW unless it is firmly founded in OLD. I think there are two things needing to be held on to. Those of the OLD need to support the NEW and the NEW must remain servants remembering they too will be OLD.
I devour anything about John and Charles Wesley. Their revival embraced the NEW as a way to find new effectiveness while at the same time wanting to advance the cause of the OLD.
Jesus said the best approach was taking the best of the OLD and join it with the NEW to achieve his aims.
I can predict a movement is in trouble when it markets itself and two when it expresses disdain for the OLD. And I have seen a lot of trouble. But if push comes to shove I like pressing in with the NEW seeking to learn the new dialect of ministry.
