What’s with the strong dose of recent nostalgia? Don’t get me wrong, I love all the remakes. But could it be that many of us who grew up with these classics never really stopped liking them? I remember each of these hits (calling them classics makes me feel a bit old). Of course I would probably throw Thunder Cats and Fraggle Rock into the mix as well but whatever the final list of remakes ends up being our culture is figuring something out: If you remake an original it becomes something new.
Can this idea be translated into the church?
Each generation has several things that make it distinct from others. There are the builders who love tradition and the boomers who love everything 
big. Then there is the Gen-X crowd who likes it loose and the millennials who are still making their own distinct mark. Lots of varieties, lots of potential, lots of “new” but in the midst of all this necessary change don’t forget the immense possibilities that a remake offers.
Consider just a few of the benefits:
- A Good remake already has a following of devoted fans.
- A Good remake is already a success; it just needs to be freshened up.
- A Good remake can easily bridge the generational gap.
Remember if you remake and original it becomes something new. What does the church need to make new? Do we really need to just throw away the hymnals? (I’m just asking…you need to answer that question!). Should we look back at the art and icons of the ancient church and allow them to make a comeback? I think what we will find is that some of the best practices of the past are still loved by many, so how can we freshen up the classics? This doesn’t mean we don’t need the new, innovative, and bold as well, I just think a balance should be struck. This needs to be a conversation, not a diatribe. What do you think?
- What old show or movie would you love to see remade into a blockbuster?
- Is there any practice or tradition in the church that you would like to see make a comeback?
- How would you freshen up that practice or tradition in order to attract a younger generation?
Princess Bride
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and
Ladyhawke
Ghostbusters or the Breakfast Club!
How about the one-anothers. Recently a FB friend shared that she saw a woman get out of a car at Walmart with a newborn baby who didn’t have a car seat. The baby was seated on the lap of the passenger. What an opportunity to show compassion by at least asking some questions, or better yet, offering to buy them a car seat. Instead my FB friend called the police.