Changes

Those who know me will know I get a bit hung up on rules, and the fact so many churches have different rules within there structure. And the fact that sometime the rule change to suite the situation we/ they find themselves in or to accommodate different people.

In the last year I have realised that rules of church don't have as much importance as the rules laid out for all of us in the bible.

I always remember hearing the ice cream van coming round just after dinner on Sundays where we lived as kids. Mum would soon say ''Not on a Sunday'' when we asked for one. This wasn't always just a christian value in times gone by, and looking a little further back in the history book we will see that most of the shops and work places would be always shut on ''The Sabeth''.

As People started to work more and different hours and things like international links needed to be kept the need for Sunday opening needed to start creeping into place's and the need for Sunday shifts came into play. The day of Rest for many had become just like any other.

Even the Church Sunday schedule started to be reduced to make Way for changing times. And the need for change hasn't been any different here in Felixstowe as the main employer The Port of Felixstowe has become a 24-7 Industry that goes on throughout the year.

OK. What is a good example of rules changing. Well I'm not sure how true this story is as i was once told different (but that one was dull and boring). But in history (know idea when) it used to be ''LAW'' for a Girl wanting to get married to have to spend the night with the King or another man of high status. and the letters F. U. C. and K would then be hung on the married couples door which stood for FORNICATING UNDER CONSENT of the KING which I'm told was where the slang for sexual intercourse came from.

Soon a King with values came into power and because he realised this rule was out of date and unethical he changed it so that the night of passion with the ruler of the state was whipped off and marriage certificates where given out' not to be displayed above a door but just to be kept as proof of the kings consent.

He hadn't change the Rules, people still needed permission of the King to get wed. But what he did do is change the system, or remove some of it to keep up with the moving and changing times.

The Church Views have changed over generations and things like shopping on a Sunday have become part of everyday life for everyone. After all what makes Christians different to everyone else when it comes to practicalities. What gives us the right to tell others its wrong.

As Churches make changes and put different systems in place or take some away this doesn't mean standards are dropping. And as long as we know that Gods rules set out in the bible can never be changed. The bible tells us to share the good news and feed the hungry and cloth the poor, and to encourage each other to seek Jesus in all we do....... surely then the only way to do this is to move forward with the rest of the world we live in. One things for sure God will never and has never changed.