Speaking of change... since I brought it up.... I've been involved in many various ministries over the last 20+ years and I've noticed that I'm beginning to do something that only OLD folks did when I was growing up... I'm complaining about the way things are, wishing they were the way they "were"... .... because I cannot worship in song service the way I used to, because I'm too busy reading the songs for the service on the wall of the church. .... because folks don't like to go out to Denny's after church .... because NO CHURCH in New England has services on Sunday Night .... Because I seemed to be the only one who actually knew the words to "Sweet, Sweet Spirit" and how to play it .... GPH put those stupid Epilates on the shirts where they don't belong... (after all, we're not BSA!) :) (I put that in for Duane... hehe). .... and so on... I played piano for early service on Sunday and didn't know even one of the songs that were being sung! I had to play only Chords to the rhythm of the song... how humbling that was ... go figure! I've played for 100's and 100's of services, played for Choirs, played on tours... yet, I never heard any of these new songs... too long, too complicated, and fully unpredictable... and in SHARPS!!! Ahhh the good old days of "Thou Art Worthy" and "Come and Dine" .... Hehe. I've become what I dreaded... Yet I look around and see that I'm the only one that seems to have this ailment. The Hymnals are dusty, yet everyone else is reading the wall and their hands are in the air, yet the spirit STILL moves. If our Worship Style can change to meet the times, why can't Rangers? By no means am I saying throwing out the basics... that would be like throwing out the Piano (though the Organ is pretty much out the window already in most Pentecostal churches I've visited in the past few years). The Pioneer Outpost I'm at (as a Lt Commander) has not had a Patrol Corner since I've been there. Most of the boys don't know which patrol they are in, much less have any desire what-so-ever to wear any form of *true* uniform or pin... yet the come... a packed room every Wednesday. Some boys in full complete uniform, most others only in a Ranger T-Shirt and jeans.... But they keep coming, they keep smiling, and they keep listening. All of the boys are hungry for attention, acknowledgement and love. They get that in my Outpost. They hear about Jesus' love and how he died for them... every Wednesday... they keep coming back. Pinewood Derby in this district ENDS at the outpost level.... Yet they keep building cars for the race.... My boy totally TRASHED his car with the most grotesque paint configuration I could imagine, yet he still won 2nd place for originality... go figure! Bad ole' Parson even flipped the starting gate incorrectly and an 8 year old boy's car got thrown off the track and broke it's front end... yet he displayed grand sportsmanship during and after 4 commanders tried to do emergency surgery on the car before the race could proceed.... Fortunately for the boy... and Parson... he won every race in his heat... and took 3rd place in his class. Times and Methods change.... But the message is the same... don't resist change, embrace it and move along with the path the Master is making before us... keeping the message strong and firm.... JESUS IS OUR LORD AND SAVIOR. Just my thoughts, Parson. _______ To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe rangernet" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] or visit http://rangernet.org/subscribe.htm http://rangernet.org Autoresponder: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
