A Blast From The Past
I don't always go to Church when I'm on vacation but I did just recently. We were greeted by a man who was wearing a suit and tie! I can't recall the last time I wore a suit to a Sunday morning service. He handed us a hymn book. I can't remember the last time I sang using a hymn book rather than words on a screen. The music accompaniment was provided by a large pipe organ. That also felt like a new experience! So, by the time we were singing the first hymn (not chorus or worship song), I felt like I had stepped back into the 1950s or 1960s. A nostalgia attack. A blast from our past, if you like. The structure of the service was the "hymn sandwich" format.
But the people were very friendly. The message delivered by the Pastor (who also wore a suit and tie) was biblically sound and unashamedly evangelistic. He carefully expounded the latter part of John 12 in a way that left no doubt that hardness of heart is the inevitable outcome for all who constantly reject the claims of the gospel. The words of some of the hymns unexpectedly engaged my heart and put me in touch with my Christian heritage in a fresh way. I came away with a sense of gratitude rather than a sense of criticism (the latter was a distinct possibility because of those first impressions).
I can't say that I want to return to those "good old days" but I can say that I have a greater appreciation for my heritage as a result of that experience. So much of my spiritual formation for life's journey took place back in those early years. Without those foundations, I wonder where I would be now?
