Midweek Musing- 12/31/2024

New Wineskins for a New Year

As we head into the new year, it’s a time when many of us reflect on what has been in the year prior and imagine what may lie ahead in the year to come. 

Indeed, advertisements this time of year encourage us to engage in such reflections especially if they can convince us to sign up for a gym membership or a new healthy meal mail order plan. And lots of news stories seem to focus on the calendar that was and look ahead with increasingly outlandish predictions on what the turning of the year will bring.

Of course, the truth is that nothing is really all that different between December 31 and January 1. The world will look the same as the day prior when we wake up.

However, the symbolism of the start of a new year does provide opportunities to consider changes and hopefully growth. But such considerations also give us moments of pause and hesitation. Change, after all, is hard—especially in a world that seems to be moving faster than ever. 

And for us, both as individuals and as a church, it might feel tempting to hold tightly to what is familiar. But the words of Jesus remind us that, while change may be uncomfortable, it is often necessary for the sake of God’s kingdom.

In Luke 5:37-38, Jesus says, “No one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins and be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.” 

Jesus used this image to illustrate how the transformative work of the gospel often requires new approaches, new structures, and new ways of thinking. This truth applies not only to the church but also to us as individuals. As I considered this passage as part of my own study recently, it caused me to reflect on how we, as a church and as faithful followers, are called to embrace the “new wineskins” of today while staying rooted in the timeless, unchanging love of God.

So recently we have done a bit of traveling in the car. We use a GPS app for directions called Waze. Waze has lots of voices you can select to guide you turn by turn through your trip while also warning you of hazards in real-time. 

During our last trip I chose a voice called The Professor. He not only has road information but also facts for our enjoyment. For example, I now know the worlds largest snakes can be 28 feet in length. And Vermont has the fewest police officers of any state. He also shared some facts about pay phones which not so long ago, were a common part of folks' daily lives. 

According to his facts (that I checked) in the mid-1990s, there were 2.6 million pay phones in the United States. These phones provided a vital way for people to connect with one another. Once upon a time whether you were stranded on the side of the road or making a quick call home, the pay phone was there—a reliable constant even in a rapidly changing world.

But as mobile phones became more common, the need for pay phones began to fade. By the early 2000s, pay phones were no longer the primary means of communication. Today, fewer than 100,000 pay phones remain, mostly in rural areas or places with limited cell service or as simply a novelty. 

Of course, the pay phone was not inherently flawed; it served its purpose well for decades. But as new technology emerged, it became clear that the old “wineskin” of the pay phone could no longer hold the “new wine” of mobile communication.

This transition from pay phones to mobile phones illustrates an important truth: Sometimes, the frameworks we rely on must change to accommodate new realities. However, just as the essence of communication remains the same, so too does the essence of God’s love. The wineskins may change, but the wine—the inclusive, unchanging love of God—remains constant from generation to generation.

As I already said change is hard. It is especially hard for those of us who have lived through decades of shifting cultural, technological, and social landscapes. The world feels faster, more complicated, and often more overwhelming than ever before. 

As a church with deep roots in this community, it’s natural to feel protective of the traditions and practices that have sustained us over the years. These traditions are not wrong—they have been the “wineskins” that carried the message of God’s love to countless generations.

But Jesus challenges us to think differently. In Jesus’s time, our Lord was introducing something radically new: the gospel of grace, hope, and reconciliation for all people. This message couldn’t be contained within the old frameworks of religious legalism or exclusionary practices. It required new wineskins—new ways of living, thinking, and being.

As we move into 2025, we are invited to do the same. This doesn’t mean abandoning our history or our identity as LaFayette Presbyterian. Instead, it means being willing to adapt for the sake of the gospel. It means asking hard questions:

   •   How can we reach those in our community who feel disconnected from church?

   •   What new practices might help us share the good news of Jesus Christ?

   •   How can we embody God’s inclusive love in ways that speak to the needs of today’s world?

These questions may lead us into uncharted territory, but they are worth asking because the world desperately needs the message we have to share.

As we wrestle with the idea of change, it’s important to remember that while the wineskins may change, the wine itself does not. God’s love for us—for all people—is constant, unchanging, and eternal. The same God who walked with Abraham, Moses, and Mary walks with us today. The same Spirit who empowered the early church empowers us now.

This is good news for a world that feels increasingly unstable. People around us are hungry for hope, grace, and joy. They are longing to hear that God loves them unconditionally and that their lives matter. By embracing new wineskins, we ensure that this unchanging message is delivered in ways that resonate with today’s world.

Now I need to admit that Jesus’ analogy of the wineskins involves risk. Putting new wine into new wineskins required trust that the new wineskin would hold. As we consider what new wineskins God might be calling us to embrace, we are invited to step out in faith. This isn’t about change for the sake of change or growth for the sake of growth. It’s about being faithful followers of Jesus Christ, willing to risk so that the all-encompassing love, grace, and hope found in our Creator might be proclaimed to a world that desperately needs that message.

Risk requires courage, and courage doesn’t mean we won’t feel sometimes feel uncomfortable. It simply means we trust that God is with us, guiding us every step of the way. The disciples faced tremendous uncertainty as they followed Jesus, but their willingness to embrace the new wineskins of God’s kingdom changed the world forever.

As we begin this new year, I encourage each of us to reflect on what new wineskins God might be inviting us to consider. Maybe it’s trying a new ministry initiative, reaching out to someone we’ve never met, or engaging in a practice that feels unfamiliar but life-giving. Maybe it’s letting go of something that no longer serves God’s purpose, trusting that God’s faithfulness will sustain us.

Whatever the specifics, let’s commit to being a church and a people willing to grow—not for our sake, but so that God’s love can be proclaimed with boldness, courage, and joy. Together, let’s embrace the new year with hope, trusting that the wine of God’s love will always remain constant, even as we discover new wineskins.

May this year be one of renewal, faithfulness, and joy as we step forward together. God is with us, always, and that is reason enough to rejoice.

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Alleluia Amen.

Happy New Year,

Clay