I recently listened to a preacher preach on the following text, including making the valid point that we needed to be prepared for change when necessary, yet begging the question what and how.

This got me thinking, including a favourite passage in the Bible that there is a time to do one thing and a time to do the very opposite. My mind went back to when I was a newly converted fifteen-year-old and began attending a Plymouth Brethren church (assembly), along with its many “funny” ways.

I thought of a typical Sunday when the men attending wore suits and the ladies wore nice hats and the King James Version of the Bible was used (which attendees took along with them – no turn to page such and such as all were expected to go to the appropriate passages unaided) and hymn books containing the old hymns. The atmosphere was reverent (being charitable) and stuffy being less so. The two services were the 11 am Breaking of Bread service (meeting) and 6.30 pm Gospel service (meeting). Looking back fifty years on and even at the time (although I was deferential not to challenge the elders on the matter) I can see the strengths and weaknesses in what took place. The Breaking of Bread meeting was open to any male member to contribute as led by the Spirit, including breaking the bread. The Gospel meeting was entirely focused on how the Son of God came from heaven to earth to atone for our sins and those not having done so needed to put their trust in Jesus.

I liked the reverence but not the stuffiness. I still prefer the Brethren approach then to the way the Breaking of Bread (The Lord’s Supper / Communion) services / meetings are conducted, including it happening every week and publicised as its most important activity, over how other denominations did it. I note, with rare exceptions, every church tradition has its own way of doing Breaking of Bread / Lord’s Supper / Communion that tends not to change. While I would welcome the PB approach, it only truly worked when participants came prepared and with the right attitude and sometimes the contributions made were inappropriate. As for the Gospel service, while I liked that the Gospel was faithfully preached, it was often tantamount to preaching to the choir, in effect, the same message. As a young believer, I would have been better off being taught the bigger picture and if we want to get people saved, expecting them to turn up at church was not the way to go about it.

I recount this experience to point out some things should not change, e.g. the centrality of the Lord’s Supper and that of preaching the old-fashioned gospel message, and some things could and should change due to the times we live in. What I have seen, and not just in PB circles, in the days that followed, have been two opposing tendencies. The first is to keep the baby and the bathwater and thus stagnate. The second is to throw out the baby with the bathwater and thus go down an inferior route.

As for my assembly I attended as a young Christian, while I welcomed it doing what Jude tells us to do and the warnings given by the likes of Apostle Paul, midst all sorts of erroneous teaching that were prevalent around us then and still are, what was not welcomed was keeping to ways not mandated by scripture because that was how things were always done or dismissing the concerns of those who saw things differently, such as those in the then emerging charismatic movement about the important role of the Holy Spirit, including the notion of putting new wine in new wineskins.

I have often remarked that the Lord works in mysterious ways and that God has a sense of humour, given my ultra conservative background and the way I am sure He has led me. Around the turn of the millennium, I embarked on my third career as a community worker. While my focus was concerning areas such as mental health and homelessness, I was mindful and often welcoming of the wider push for diversity and inclusion and addressing social justice issues. What I have seen are churches I once thought were doctrinally sound, while rightly taking an interest in all these matters, yet adopting the views of the ungodly on how to respond and thus de-prioritise the preaching of the gospel and the need for biblical holiness in order to ingratiate themselves with unbelievers.

So back to the what to change and how … firstly I will qualify my comments by preceding with the unchanging Christ text that appeared at the front of the church I attended in my youth, and up to the time it closed, and end with the word from Jeremiah concerning ancient paths. As for change, a lot of how and what is done in church has not been mandated in scripture and so is fair game. Sometimes, one needs to eat humble pie, for even good people see things differently and, often, who is to say what is right?

I continued with my PB assembly until ten years ago but, when we decided to close, me and my family changed from PB to SB (Strict Baptist) that did certain things differently – some things better and some not so (imho). Where the humble pie comes in is while I prefer some things to be done differently, these often do not fall in the essential category and so I realised I should not try to impose my views. As for changes that are essential, and speaking personally – I need to be more like Jesus! If there is a change we should long for in our churches, it is that they become more Christ focused.

There is a great need for unity in the church and along with it our needing to discern what is essential and what is not and is why the above ancient wisdom is something worth considering. Given there are lots of changes that may be desirable, as well as some that may be essential, we do well to reflect and pray …       

As I was sleeping on posting the above, I received a message from a friend that included the salutary observation “The news media messaging seems to be preparing everyone for a new lockdown – in step with the global plan?” I had the naughty thought that some of the how and what enquirers following my preacher friend’s “why do your disciples not fast” sermon may be among those who will succumb yet again to another great con. As an old man, I well remember as a young man my wanting to change everything, but now find I am inclined to a quiet life and to keep things as they are.

Yet as I think about my life and and wanting to go out with a bang or at least having made a difference, I find on reflection I would do better to be like old Caleb who requested “give me this mountain” and pray with the Psalmist “revive us again”. The change we should be looking for and working toward is that the Shekhinah glory be manifested and for genuine Holy Ghost revival to take place.