Way of Thinking

I have to admit, now that we are in the Stanley Cup Finals that things in the NHL are pretty exciting. With Edmonton in the finals and winning in overtime on a shorthanded goal I was brought right out of my seat and slapping high five with my buddy Ian. However I still find myself saying that I am not a big fan of the new NHL. Especially when in an exciting game like last night Carolina scored 3 power-play goals.

They say they are changing the game to make it better; more exciting. They say they want to draw in more fans... new fans. They want the game to be easier to understand so more people who don’t know the game will be drawn to it. And still I find myself saying, “No, don’t change the game at all! I like it just the way it is.” I’ve been a fan for as long as I’ve known the great game existed. I love it, don’t think there is anything wrong with it and simply did not welcome the change. However, I fear I might be wrong.

I am a young preacher; fresh out of college and ready to set the world on fire for Christ. I have lots of new ideas and methods of doing things and am always dreaming and scheming to figure out new ways to do church and to do ministry. I want new Christians and I want people who have never considered or never understood Christ before. To me the old way of doing things is not reaching the new generation and therefore it has to change and cannot stay the same for the sake of, “I like it the way it is.” That kind of thinking, I feel, is a stumbling block to the growth of the church. Yet I stand back and see how easy it is to feel fear and rejection when something you love is changing to accommodate the new. I felt like the NHL was leaving its loyal fans behind but that is not what they are doing. They are trying to draw in new fans, more fans, so the game can be bigger and better. How easy it is for me to spot the flaws of resistance in those who oppose me without realizing that I, myself, due to my own personal preferences can hold many biases as well.

I feel like I have a new appreciation for this feeling of a change in something that has been the same for a long time, maybe since its existence. However I will still admit now, that even though I like the 2-1 playoff game better then the 8-6 ones it really isn’t about me. And if I like style of worship more then another that is ok because worship is definitely not about me either. And for the sake of those who do not know Christ I need to be willing to accommodate them because I CANNOT value my own preferences and my own comfort over the relationship someone might be able to have with Christ. I must change as the game changes. Those who made the playoffs this year were the ones who best adjusted to the new hockey world and those did not adjust, who clung to their old style, were left behind. We will win and change lives for Christ as we change our methods to reach them.

We may even win some converts to hockey too.

Go Oilers Go

Go Church Go