Sermon Snippets - 7:1-30

When I was in the fifth or sixth grade, I saw a production of "Fiddler on the Roof" that was staged locally in Winona Lake. I had never heard of the story before, but I thoroughly enjoyed the performances and the story itself. I can still remember the rousing rendition of "Tradition!"

The song captures much of what that play is about, holding on tradition as the world around you changes and also threatens you.

How do we maintain our sanity when everything is mixed up? Tradition.
How do we get through the tough times? Tradition.
What is our guide when complicated situations arise? Tradition.

To a point, that is all well and good. But when it comes to ministry and the life of the Church, that is not good enough. Sticking with our traditions can be dangerous because traditions can often get in the way of necessary progress. We won't change the truth we proclaim, but we may change how we proclaim it to effectively be salt and light.

Jesus' example in Mark 7 shows us that in order to faithfully follow him, we must be willing to "change or die". Traditions cannot be worshipped and we must be willing to adopt an 'out-of-the-box' approach to ministry.

It's a challenging approach, it's a uncomfortable approach, but it's the way of Jesus. Let's follow Him!