"God Doesn't Change, Neither Should We"

This past Sunday a friend at church handed me the religion section of a downstate newspaper. She drew my attention to the section where various churches advertise their Sunday service times (with business-card size ads). She pointed to one of the churches (sadly, Baptist) that contained the following statement as a logo:

God doesn't change,

neither should we.

It went on to claim that it was a "new church" with "old fashioned values". Certainly nothing wrong that the "old fashioned values"---depending, of course, on what is meant by "old fashioned".

But think about the first statement. It certainly is true that God doesn't change. Scripture, as well as logic, demand all Christians believe this doctrine. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He never "grows", never differs in his opinion, and is always trustworthy and true.

What about the next statement (neither should we)? This violates so many laws my head is spinning. It doesn't make sense logically, philosophically, biologically, or (more importantly) scripturally. While God never changes, since he is immortal and the philosophical first cause of all things, we are in a constant state of change. Our bodies change, our feelings change, and even our beliefs change (as we grow in God's word). Praise God for change! If we didn't change, then we would all be pagans with no hope for salvation, and certainly no hope for growing in our knowledge of God's word! By the way, if the church is "new" as the ad suggests, isn't this a change (from a state of nonexistence)?

So, what could this church possibly mean? Perhaps they mean that they are committed to the historic faith "once for all delivered". Generally, however, such churches emphasize their commitment to Scripture.

Sadly, they are telling the world that their service styles and way of life are fixed. Everything they do is the way it was done in the 1950's (or 60's, or 70's, or whatever generation they choose to model). Unless, of course, they are all wearing first century clothing, speaking Greek (or, maybe if we are lenient, Hebrew), worshiping with harps and clanging symbols (are those drums?), picking up neighborhood children using donkeys (fueled by diesel, of course), and reading from the Septuagint-- which I somehow doubt. Obviously, Peter and Paul conducted worship services at 11:00 AM (it had nothing to do with American farmers needing to milk their cows), Sunday evening services (obviously this was not instituted by American churches after the invention of the gas lantern), and held Wed. prayer meetings at 7:00 PM (which, by the way, has nothing to do with the shift of the normal working day from 8am-5pm). And, of course, Jesus regularly conducted a visitation program on Saturday mornings at 10 am (thus allowing his congregation to sleep in a little). Oddly, I wonder if James or John advertised their church(es) in the local Jerusalem newspaper? And what's with that phone number listed on the bottom? Well, obviously Jesus used a telephone too (and spoke English!).

Apparently, the God of all eternity, who never changes one iota, happens to be a 1950's American God.