Old made new again

When I was little (pre-elementary) my mother went back to school three nights a week to get her masters. Three nights a week I had a date with my Dad. Because microwaves were not around (yes that was just 30 years ago) most nights my Dad would take me to McDonalds (pre- play grounds and happy meal toys) or K&N Rootbeer for dinner. Like all good dates, at least once a week after dinner we would check out a movie. (Yes, in the theater as there were no VCRs ...Yes that too was just thirty years ago!).

We saw all the Disney Movies. We saw The Wizard of Oz. We saw the cartoon version of the Return to OZ with Liz Minelli as the voice of Dorothy. We saw the cartoon Jack and the Bean Stock, The Cat From Outer Space and all the Bengi movies. I even remember some Peanuts Cartoons in the movie theater. But some of my favorite movies were about Herbie the Love Bug. We saw all the Herbie movies: The Love Bug, Herbie Rides Again, Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo, Herbie Goes Bananas. I remember one Saturday my Dad took me for a test drive in a VW beetle because I loved Herbie so much!

Herbie is making a comeback this summer in Herbie Fully Loaded. I won't go buy tickets a month early, have a Herbie party, or go see the midnight movie with a 53 on my shirt...(see last week) But, I still can't wait to take my kids! One of the joys of parenthood is introducing old friends from the past to your children. It is so fun to see some of my favorite things through their eyes. The old is made new again. This joy is multiplied when your kids fall for something as hard as you did all those years ago. I'm not just talking about movies.

Rob's chest puffs up proudly every time Rhett wants to go play baseball or golf. The fact that our kids are very into collecting the Star Wars toys from Burger King and love to fake dual with their light sabers makes both Rob and I smile. The streak of independence Kolby found through learning to ride her bike reminds me so much of myself at that age. I loved my bike! Kolby's 4 year "all things Princess" craze has been fun for me too.

But perhaps the sweetest thing of all has been seeing how my kids view church. When I was little I loved going to church. I felt very at home in our church and with church people. I had no idea that there was anything wrong with our "little tribe." To me church was family, security and the good and right thing to do. My kids feel that way about our church now.

They don't know about the bitter words exchanged when building the community center. They don't know about the teacher shortages and the life groups that just can't seem to get together. My kids don't care what their class mates are wearing or what kind of car they came to church in. They don't see the crisis, the frustrations and the friction. Not that our church is not falling apart or anything, but with all churches there are rough spots and problems. Our church, like all churches, has it's positive and negatives. My kids don't see much negative. That is the privilege of youth.

While I think it would be immature and irresponsible to never grow up and see the church through adult eyes, I wonder if we (meaning I) should try to see things from our precious children's perspective more often. Is that what Jesus meant when he said that the Kingdom belonged to those who can make themselves like little children?

For all the talk of emergents, moderns, post-moderns etc., I think the secret is trying to see church through a baby Christians eyes, and making the old new again.