Day 8: May 12Scripture: Luke 5:33-38 “. . . no one pours new wine into old wineskins.” “Wineskins” were made of goatskins sewed together to make a watertight bag. Once they had been used, they could not be used again. A used wineskin would be more rigid and would likely burst and spill the new wine as it expanded with age. We in the church, like the old wineskins, have become rigid in our traditions and the ways we are in ministry. The church must be pliable enough to accept new ideas, new traditions and new ways of doing programs. We must forget those words that can be so restricting and hurtful: “but, we have always done it this way.” As Christians, we need to keep our hearts open to receiving Christ and the new ways he is calling us to be in ministry. All Things New offers our conference a new way of responding to the Great Commission to go into all the world and make disciples. It is up to each one of us to decide how we will answer God’s call. If we choose to continue doing the same things in the same ways, we will continue to see a decline in our church membership. We must make an effort to reach our young people and those who are unchurched. They may be different than those currently sitting in our pews, but God calls us to serve the homeless, the poor, those in prison and those who do not know the love of God. If we accept the All Things New, then we must be ready to let the spirit work in each of us and do a new thing. An old wineskin just will not work for something new! Prayer: God of creation, keep creating a new thing in each of us so that we may respond to your command to make disciples for you. May the wind of your Spirit blow across our conference in fresh ways. We pray for your blessings and for your guidance as we seek to make All Things New in the Virginia Conference. Amen. Shirley Cauffman |