Everything we do is not that important. I mean it’s not that serious. What I’m trying to say is we get so into habits, traditions, and patterns that we lose flexibility and think it’s all a very serious thing. It’s just not.
Habits, traditions, patterns are good. They help. But they’re also something to lay aside sometimes just for a change. Okay, before you get worried I’m not talking about threats to orthodoxy or God’s message.
Doing things differently is good – we are creative beings and to engage our creativity means we need to experiment, express uniqueness and actually change. (I know you thought they’d all start with ‘ex’. Surprise!)
Years ago, the Senior Pastor at our church decided to change things for one Sunday morning. The previous day the entire sanctuary had been emptied of it’s chairs for a special event. So, in wanting to reset the sanctuary afterward, he said, ‘hey let’s turn everything around!’ . And so we reset the sanctuary with the podium and worship band at the back and the congregation facing them instead of the front of the sanctuary.
It freaked some people out.
Other people liked it.
Still others didn’t like it but put up with it for one time.
Others were delighted for the change.
Years later, others are still trying to figure out if they like it or not.
I appreciate that same pastor who often said, “We take God seriously but not ourselves”. (Thanks Brian!)
It wasn’t a big change but it made a difference to people. It wasn’t a permanent change but it made a difference to people. Some resist change and others embrace it.
Just get out of the rut you’re so deeply planted in and see if it doesn’t freshen things up.
If we took ourselves less seriously then we’d experiment more. We’d be less invested in people thinking we’re perfect. Which btw, they don’t.
If we could get over our illusory public persona we’d be more likely to find new solutions to our problems. Einstein, who was a smart guy, wrote that the kind of thinking that created problems will never solve them. We need a new kind of thinking!
“Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly.” G.K.Chesterton
So take yourself less seriously. You’ll be open to new things, enjoy life more and be more enjoyable to be with. Let’s fly with freshness like angels
