I grew up in a small town in Illinois with a wonderful park just 2 blocks from my home.  From the first fish I caught, I was hooked as a fishermen.  My mom knew that if she couldn't find me at home or my friend Tim's house, that chances were I was at the park fishing.   I would dig my own worms from behind my garage, grab my gear and be gone for 2 or more hours at a time.

  My gear consisted of a Zebco 404 rod and real which would be fitted with a single hook and bobber.  The pond where I fished was filled with perch, bluegill, bass and catfish.   I enjoyed the bluegill the most and my method of fishing was most conducive for that kind of fish. 

      Years later I found myself in northern California with my own family.  I wanted my son to enjoy the same things I did as a boy (what father doesn't) and would take him fishing.   He, like me, was hooked also after his first fish and now loves to go at any time. 

    I quickly noticed however, that  we were not enjoying the same amount of luck I had when I was a boy.   We went out to Folsom lake on several occasions and caught nothing but kept on trying.  Later I became friends with Phil Carter who was a native of the area and big outdoors-man.  Phil was the one to teach me the importance of fishing on the bottom of the lake.  He told me that Folsom was a trout lake and that the trout enjoy the colder bottom part of the lake.   He also told me that the trout are smart and you need to use a "slider" weight so the trout will take the bait and start running with it before they know that something is wrong.    He also showed me the wonders of "power-bait" and how it floats above the bottom of the lake bed for the fish to grab.   After this, we were catching fish with no problem.

    What does this have to do with church? 

    Plenty!

    You see I could have told Phil, "Sorry Phil, I am a fishing purest.  I believe the only way to fish is with bobber-and-hook.-and-worm" .   I could have kept doing things the way my father taught me and his father taught him.

    But that would mean I would still be waiting to catch my first fish.

    We see the same in our church today.  My church feels that the liturgy is the only way to "fish".   That doing things like the 1st century Christians is the only way to worship and grow a church.  We use the same methods out here that are used in the mid-west where church is still the center of most peoples lives.    Here in California people are less patient, and have "other activities" that distract them from going to church on Sunday mornings.  Many of them have never been in a Lutheran church, let alone follow a liturgical service!   We seem to add mostly long-time-lutherans to our mix rather than the un-churched.  

    Paul understood the need to adapt to his surroundings.  He said. "to the slave I become a slave and to the Greek I become a Greek.... I become all things to all people that I might save them".     He changed his "methods" to meet the "catch".   Paul knew he wasn't going to be able to change the Greeks to become Jews no more than I was going to be able to change the trout to be more like bluegills.   He had to adapt! Not them!

    Is your church adapting?