Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old. — Matthew 13:52
One thing about living in one place a long time — stuff accumulates! I have some precious things kept for years but I am always adding something new to the mix. Jesus relates this to the Kingdom of God.
God never stopped creating. He still moves in new ways — new songs, new ideas, new people — yet he cherishes the old, too.
I have heard new people say, “Burn the old hymnals, we have something better!” No. The new is not all good and the old is not all bad. A wise householder keeps the best of both.
This is, I think, the essence of Paul’s admonition to the Corinthian believers when he wrote:
“Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are your’s; And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s. — 1st Corinthians 3:22-23
–fritz@langgang.com