On my way into the office this morning it occurred to me that we are probably just a few years away from a major change in our vehicles. I was driving along with my ipod plugged into the system and it dawned on me that within a few years, this little, portable, hand-held device would soon cause a great change in the stereo systems in our vehicles.
If you have an ipod, zune, or any other such player, you've no doubt experienced what makes these music and video players so great -- you can take them anywhere, and listen at any time. The demand for the plug-and-play features of an ipod have led car manufacturers to install ports in their vehicles, so you can plug in your portable music devices and keep the music playing.
With this current wave of technology moving through the automobile, it's just a matter of time before a big change comes. So, prepare yourself to say "so long" to the CD player. Yes, that's right. The ipod has pretty much made the standard CD player obsolite. Don't believe me? Then, tell me where the cassette player is in your new car. You can't. It's been phased out.
I remember the excitement I had when my wife and I got a multi-disc CD player with a new van we bought. It was wonderful to put six CDs into the player and listen to what you wanted on those discs without having to pop one out and put a new one in.
Then came the ipod. Today, we don't use that CD changer. In fact, the only thing in it is one Adventures in Odyssey CD. The roughly 60-70 songs it once could hold have been replaced by an ipod that can hold thousands of tunes (although mine currently contains about 720 songs, a couple of Chronicles of Narnia audiobooks and 23 podcasts). So, now our CD player is pretty much obsolite.
Oh, and by the way, CDs are giving way to Internet downloads, so they'll be gone in a decade. By then, of course, we'll be talking about the replacement to the ipod, which is already seeing a bit of a phase out.
So, where am I going with this? Well, times change. As the clock ticks away, delivery methods for the things we enjoy change. Most times, change brings improvement. The transition period may not be the most enjoyable thing in the world, but the end results can be wonderful. But, with the change, we find a way to keep the basic parts the same. For instance, as music delivery methods change, the music we love will likely be found in the new methods. (Ex: classic songs on vinyl albums end up on greatest hits cds that later end up as Internet downloads for your ipod)
I use these examples, because one of the great debates raging in the American church today surrounds changing methods. About every two or three generations, the church in America has made a major shift in the way that it delivers the Gospel message. Most of the shifts have occurred in music styles, but preaching and community action methods have also changed.
Each shift has always brought great resistance, and understandably so. The passing generations get comfortable with what used to be new to them. There's nothing wrong with that, because that style of church met their spiritual needs. But, they are reluctant to let that go when future generations come along needing something new.
It's a repeating cycle, and no one is really wrong for wanting their preference. But, just like music delivery has changed over the years, the way church is done must also change in order to reach future generations. That will mean that older generations may have to sacrifice their preferences so the Gospel can reach new people. That will also mean that older generations may have to give up control to the new people, so they can reach even more people.
Likewise, my generation would do themselves a huge favor, and be ready to give up our preferences when the next generation says, "why don't we try doing church this way."
The times change. The methods change. But, the message stays the same.
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