Your Spiritual Journey
Pitchers
Pitchers
Houston’s sermon about the pitfalls of nostalgia in the church reminded me of a Jeff Walling lesson I saw years ago. Jeff presented two drink pitchers; one was an antique ceramic, the other new and made of plastic. One was very unique and looked as if it should be in a museum; the other was something many of us would have in our refrigerator. Both pitchers were filled with water from the same source.
In the course of the lesson, he likened the pitchers to the church’s methods and programs, and the water to the teachings of Jesus and his apostles. He suggested that, because of nostalgia or inflexibility, we become set in our ways and unable to adapt to change. We pull out the old pitcher because that’s what our grandparents used, we have great memories of using it, etc. While that pitcher was once new, it’s antique and strange to us now; the plastic pitcher is what we use today. Keep in mind, both pitchers contain the SAME WATER! So, the message has not changed, just the way it is presented and delivered. Filmstrips gave way to VHS tapes, to DVDs, to streaming lessons and sermons. While we may be nostalgic for the old days, how many of us set up a projector to watch a movie at home? What illustrations and methods would the apostles use to preach the timeless message of Jesus to a 21st century world? I love the idea of the Paul writing emails, Face Timing, updating his website, and creating reels on Instagram!
We live in a thirsty world; let’s make sure our pitcher is up for the task.
“Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14)
Jim
