For some reason recently, while typing my Friday posts, I have a song in my head. Two weeks ago, I blogged about Bruce Springsteen. Today, I thinking about Jimmy Buffett and a great song he wrote in 1977 that still gets radio play and is a popular song at his concerts: “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes.”
Over the years, I have learned a lot from Buffett’s music concerning life, success, disappointment, happiness, and hard times. During the moments where I am too serious or too uptight, I often return to Buffett’s music when I need a change of perspective. “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes” is the perfect song during those moments of change or difficulty in life. When changes pop up in our lives it is often at unexpected times.
The chorus from “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes” is particularly helpful:
With these changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes
Nothing remains quite the same
With all of my running and all of my cunning
If I couldnt laugh I just would go insane
If we couldnt laugh we just would go insane
If we werent all crazy we would go insane
That’s some great advice. While nothing lasts forever, we should also change our attitude rather than striving to remain in the past. The ability to laugh is helpful. Like Jimmy said, “If we couldn’t laugh I just would go insane.” The “lightness” of a moment is not easy to see, but it sure changes the mood of a serious moment when we can laugh.
In our lectionary New Testament scriptures this week, we have two situations where change is happening. In Acts 11, Peter is retelling a vision to his fellow believers. A conflict arises concerning Gentile Christians who are not following Jewish law or customs. Allowing “unclean” Gentiles to become Christ followers was a source of conflict in the early Church. Peter tells his fellow believers of a vision where God tells Peter to eat unclean animals. The Old Testament had many laws prohibiting eating certain kinds of animals. Peter is told by God, “What God has made clean, you must not call profane.” Wow, this is a huge change for Peter and the other Jews who became Christians!
In the other New Testament lesson from Revelation 21, John sees a vision of a new heaven and new earth:
Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.”And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.
Wow, these are some huge changes!
Culturally, change is all around us whether we want to accept it or not. It’s there. When we come to Christ, God makes us a new creation. As Christians, we have to deal with change: new members, new ministries, new ideas, new pastors, new people, new buildings, new vision, and new growth in faith. The fact remains, we must accept change or we must change. If we are at the same place in our faith that we were 10 years ago, something is wrong. Our faith is not static, rather faith is fluid. There are highs and lows. Valleys and mountain peaks. New things to discover.
What change are you having difficulty with?
I hope you will join me this Sunday at First Baptist Church @ 10:15 a.m. as we explore what it means to have change in our lives. The change proclaimed in Acts and Revelation clues us in on how we should accept change. No matter how many changes in latitudes we have, we must change our attitudes as well.
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