CBC Worship Ministries: Devotional Blog

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

Dicken's famous quote is as pertinent today as it was when it was penned in 1859. When we stop to think and take stock of our lives, most of us could easily sum up our own experience with that phrase. Let's begin with the "worst of times." Face it - life in our country is not really getting any "better." We are experiencing more and more religious persecution. Those who adhere to evangelical Christianity are shunned, mocked and derided. Our religious freedoms are eroding away. Right before our eyes we are seeing the moral decay of our institutions. Christians are quickly becoming an unwanted minority: our opinions are viewed as intolerant, our attitudes as victorian, and our ethics as naive.

But it is also the best of times. Christians have at their disposal the same advanced technology, the same shrinking global community and the same improved accessibility as the rest of the world. We have access to the internet, the airwaves, the digital revolution, and other space-age technologies. There is really nothing that stands in our way! Just think of how easy it is to access an online Bible - and not just one translation - but a whole library of translations. Devotionals, study guides, commentaries, concordances - who needs bookshelves??

As we look to the new year and the opportunities that God has placed before us we need to constantly be seeking to make the "most of every opportunity." This is exactly what the apostle Paul urged us to do in Ephesians 5 - So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.

As those involved in worship ministries we need live smart. We need to be aware of how people are communicating - of how we can best reach them with the gospel. We need to be open to new ideas, not new theology. We need to be innovative without changing the pure, simple truth of the Bible. God doesn't change. The author of Hebrews tells us that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever."

The church that thinks it has found the perfect methodology is the church that is doomed to stagnation and decline. What we have found is the perfect savior, the perfect path to God, the perfect hope for the future. Don't confuse the content of the message with the communication of the message. Today's methods for communicating will be tomorrow's antiques. As we look forward to what God is going to do in 2009, let's never get complacent about the process - so that with Paul we can confidently claim that we are "looking for that blessed hope."

Is the best of times? Time will tell. . .