Herod was angry because he knew one thing about Jesus: he would change things. And Herod didn’t want things to change. Herod was king and he wanted to stay king. He was an evil king and he liked it. If God had finally sent the promised Savior, that baby would be the rightful king. Herod didn’t want to give up his power. He didn’t want things to change.
We can sympathize with Herod, can’t we? Who wants things to change? It’s difficult, it’s unnerving, it’s vulnerable. Let’s face it, there is just too much change today. You buy a computer and next year it’s obsolete…and outdated. We are constantly having to learn new technology, new software, new cultural shifts, new worship songs… and it is unending. You get to a stage in life, perhaps Herod’s stage, where change is occurring too rapidly. Losing loved ones, losing health, losing finances, losing relationships, deteriorating bodies, losing mobility, and independence. Nothing makes you feel older than looking at Harrison Ford dressed up as Han Solo. It can be just too much change. We want something to anchor ourselves. We want a constant when the winds of change blow too swiftly. We want Jesus, our Rock and our Redeemer. Too often, though, we want the church to be our Jesus. Unchanging. Unmoving. We’ve always done it that way. Jesus doesn’t change, the church will always change. Don’t confuse the church with Jesus. An interesting book on the topic is Christ & Culture by Richard Niebuhr.
Some dislike it when I do different things in worship, when I use light to create atmosphere, or creative elements to help remember what I preach, or simply try to make worship fun. I get it. It’s not what we are used to. Some of my ideas flop. Last Christmas, I brought in real live baby doll lamb to the Christmas Eve service, except when I went to pick it up, it wasn’t a baby doll lamb at all. It was barely a lamb. It was a full grown sheep, almost. It made Christmas memorable, but that didn’t turn out so great. But I am committed to trying new things, new ideas, and making church fun. That’s the kind of pastor I am. I refuse to do church the way we have always done it. Why? Because I am compelled by Christ to be different. Jesus changed me… Let’s not fall into the trap of tradition and sacred cows, but rather see Jesus as an agent for change.
