Fri 10Apr09 Ephesians 5: 1-2 NKJV
Therefore be imitators of God . . .
Having just returned from Good Friday Service in church, I'm pondering over the message, the songs, the drama and the video that were presented there, reminding us of the suffering and death of our Lord Jesus. Besides having been led through an hour of meditation on the passion of Christ, this year's Good Friday prompts me to go a step further: that is to think of living the rest of the Christian year in practising the love of our Lord.
"And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us, and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God, for a sweet smelling aroma" v.2
Over the recent years, there has been much emphasis on adopting contemporary practices in our church, so that young people will find it relevant to their lifestyles. A difficulty encountered in attempting to do so is that young people's tastes and trends do not remain very long. They keep changing.
Contemporary tastes are largely based on imitations by young people, of well-known artistes and their forms of music, hair-styles and dressing, being spread around the world by today's highly efficient and pervasive media. What used to be hip and trendy among Christian youth back in my MYF days thirty years ago is laughably "out" today. The imitators of Beatles and Elvis of the 60s, the bell-bottom pants of the 70s, the baggy look of the 90's etc all look comically anachronous today.
In short, the trouble with being contemporary is that it is temporary.
Tonight, on Good Friday, I am persuaded that my life must adopt a type of unchanging contemporary practice, that is, to imitate God. There is one part of my life that must not be subject to the changing trends of young peoples life-styles: it is by walking in the love of Christ. It remains the same every year.
The trend set by our Lord Jesus is that we should walk (live) like he did: in sacrificial love. Just as he loved us. Just as he has given himself for us. Just as he has offered himself as a sweet aromatic sacrifice to God. We must imitate this love in our church.
It is contemporary with God.
