Scripture: Luke 5:37 – “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed.” (NRSV)
Living in the present means existing on a nanosecond edge between the past and future. And the past and future, the old and the new pull on us in seemingly equal measure. This true of our biology and psychology but is especially true of our faith. We believe in a God who is the Ancient of Days, unchanging and forever the same, for whom a thousand years are like a day. And we believe in a God who is doing a new thing, and who calls us to sing new songs.
The ministry of Jesus likewise existed on this point between past and future. He said that he had not come to change the Torah and spoke of fulfilling the prophets. But he also was clearly doing something new, teaching his disciples to go beyond the old ways of doing things to find a way of bringing love, justice, and forgiveness into the world in a way that no one had ever done before. For his revolutionary ideas, Jesus was hated by the “powers that be”, who wanted to keep things the way they were. They were always looking for ways to point out hypocrisy in Jesus or to accuse of him of blasphemy for his new ways of thought. Jesus resisted their desire to keep his new ideas in old structures, using the metaphor of old and new wineskins. He said that trying put new wine—that is new ideas—into old wineskins—old structures—will only break the wineskins and spill the new wine. Jesus was calling for new structures to accommodate the new ideas so that all could enjoy the new things that God was doing, in the spirit if not the form of tradition.
This is a perennial question for the church, which sees itself as a bastion of tradition, and is historically glacially paced when it comes to welcoming change. But there comes a time when the old wineskins can no longer hold the new wine and when we need to create new wineskins, new systems, new ways of approaching faith to live out the calling that the Holy Spirit is putting in front of us.
On Sunday, January 23, 2022, the United Church of Assonet will be having an important meeting called, “Honoring Our Past, Envisioning our Future.” During this meeting we will evaluate our structures and see whether they can still contain the new and necessary callings the God has placed before us to meet the needs of our community in the future. But even if you are not a member of our congregation, it is always a good time to reevaluate what God is calling you to do and what you can do to better live your life according to God’s will. This may require you to put aside behaviors and habits that get in the way of your faith, even if they have worked in the past. It may mean trying something new, even if it that is challenging or frightening.
God is calling us to sing new songs, but also reminds us that God’s love and majesty are eternal. We are not betraying our past by following God in new directions. So be bold, be faithful, and enjoy the new joyous drink that God has placed before us.
Prayer: Dear God, help us to fill our cups with your Holy Spirit and find joy and purpose in your new call to love. Amen.
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