He who was seated on the throne said, I am making everything new. Revelation 21.5

Consider the following lyrics: Long ago but not so very long ago the world was different. Oh yes, it was. Those words are the opening lines to a song sung by James Taylor; a song in the movie "Cars". "Cars" is about a young race car named Lightning McQueen. According to the story, McQueen ends up stuck, for a time, in a small town. That town, Radiator Springs, was once a popular stopover along Route 66. But with the construction of Interstate 40,people bypass Radiator Springs, effectively erasing it from the map, causing many of the businesses and residents to leave.

Part of the songs power is that it hits home for all of us who have lived long enough to see things decline with time. Perhaps we've seen a bustling small town decline into empty storefronts, or we've observed so much of television decline into toxic waste. Or the decline in how people treat each other. And not only in the culture of the world, even in the church we see decline. Decline in membership, in worship attendance, in the number of children big and small in Sunday School. This decline in our own church and so many other LCMS congregations today hits home hardest of all and many ask why? And not just why, but more importantly what are we to do in response to this decline?

"Time marches on" The I 40's and 255's of our time continue to bypass. More than a few churches have decided to move to a "better" location. Others have tried to change within: give things a face-lift, do more marketing, focus more upon the wants and desires of people, etc . . . Other congregations take the approach that the change itself is the key to ministry planning. For example, transportation systems may bypass but they also connect therefore plan accordingly. But which of these are the best answer to a declining world? Long ago, but not so very long ago, the world was different. Oh yes, it was. If only we could go back to the old days,things were so much better then. Yes let's go back, back 200 years and listen to what the song writers said 200 years ago. "Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day; earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away; change and decay in all around I see; O thou who changest not, abide with me."