“Honoring the Old, Embracing the New”
By Rev. Dr. Carla A. Romarate-Knipel
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here!” – 2 Corinthians 5:17
“I think accepting change is quite as important as defending the past.” – Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham, Downton Abbey
You may wonder why a quotation from a major character of the popular British historical television drama, Downton Abbey, has found its way into my message. Perhaps it’s because Cora Crawley, the American heiress who marries into British nobility is one of my favorite characters in the show. With the upcoming release of the movie Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale on September 12, I am looking forward to reconnecting with the Countess of Grantham, and the interesting characters in this popular British drama series. This time, however, I look forward to finding out how her daughter, Mary, tackles the challenges of the inevitable that everyone encounters in the course of one’s life: CHANGE. And not just change, but to take the lead into the future with its daunting difficulties but also its possibilities for growth. Mary represents the next generation of leaders who is tasked with honoring the legacy of the older generation while embracing the new. She and her family have to make the hard decisions that meant letting go of the past without forgetting the enduring values that will serve as the inspiration in moving forward.
The Bible is full of people like Cora Crawley and her daughter, Mary. In the Old Testament stories we have: Moses and Joshua; Ruth and Naomi; Mordecai and Esther; Eli and Samuel. These people were called and sent by God to be advocates of change while serving as guardians of the values of the past. The intergenerational partnerships made it possible for these duos to lead God’s people to embrace change, be creative and innovative, while remaining grounded in the covenant with God forged in the past.
In the New Testament, John the Baptist paved the way for Jesus to bring about change in living out the same Covenant relationship with God. Jesus selected men and women to help him demonstrate the new thing God was creating through the Church, a new community, living actively in the present in the power of the Holy Spirit, while anchored in the promises of God in the past. Through the Church, God’s faithful presence in the past continues into the present and the future. Each generation is invited to be present and faithful to God but also to adapt to the changing times. In order to do this, Jesus and his first followers have left us a spiritual legacy and practices to help us fulfill God’s mission and serve as witnesses to God’s reconciling, restoring and renewing grace.
Central Baptist Church have been through a lot of changes since it began as a Sunday School class over 120 years ago. We’ve had our highs and lows, but even before the pandemic our church was steadily declining in numbers and has become an aging congregation. We are at a crossroad in our church’s life cycle. We have a choice: we either give in to despair and hang on to the remnants of what was meaningful to us in the past, OR, we can take a leap of faith and be open to the new things that God is already doing among us.
In order to take this leap of faith there is a great need to be intentional in engaging in a new season of prayer, reflection and action. The CBC Future Ministry Task Force has worked hard to come up with a report that our church family needs to respond to and make hard but necessary decisions now, seeking God’s guidance through the Holy Spirit.
I hope and pray that each one of us will make a commitment to God to actively participate in this discernment journey, and like Cora Crawley be open to accept change as quite important as defending the past. I also pray that the next generation, although, currently few in number, may be like Mary Crawley, and take on the challenge of leading in the present, into a future that is faithful to God’s call for us to be the hands and feet of Jesus.
May Christ’s wisdom, peace and love be with us all as we begin a new season of ministry and our life together as the Body of Christ here at 37 South Jackson and Centre Streets, Woodbury, New Jersey!
Yours in the Partnership of the Gospel,
Pastor Carla
