Gimme That Old Time Religion

I think I’ll pass on those 3-D goggles

I love old songs. One of my favorite religious songs was and still is Old Time Religion. I love that the song emphasized the steadfastness of our faith. But on the flip side, pun intended, our religion can’t stay the same.

While the basic concept of our faith is rock solid, and we stand on the biblical teachings at its core, our world is different from our parents and grandparents'. And yes, believe it or not, different than biblical days.

A television in 1950 did the same as it does today. It provided entertainment and news. Of course, today’s television and technology allow so much more. But at its core, it’s news and entertainment.

God's grace and mercy are the same yesterday, today, and forever. But His grace and mercy are measured so much differently now—not by God but by humanity. Sinfulness has become more “hi-tech.” Temptation and fear have become more commonplace and, honestly, more acceptable, or in today’s lingo, the new normal.

If you worship like you did 20 years ago, you may be missing out on blessings or becoming a millstone around the neck of others. The world and our understanding of how things work are changing and progressing so fast these days that we have to put some time and energy into strengthening our faith. If your faith is the same as it was 20 years ago, it may feel weaker by comparison. Maintaining faith doesn’t mean being stuck in yesterday. God’s grace and mercy are tough enough to handle keeping up with the times.

The Bible mentions maturity in Christ. I walked as a child…, and now I’m an adult. Look, I’m not one to judge because I’m surely in need of judgment, but as I look around, I see a church that is lukewarm. It's not dead or dying, just not advancing because we’re hanging onto a devotion to our past.

Adjusting the rabbit ears and adding tinfoil to get a better picture doesn't hurt. But likewise, a more colorful and informative picture is OK.

Give me that old-time religion … on a widescreen digital screen would be nice.

God bless…..