Fur and Feathers
In the photos above, you see two boxes of trout flies - typical of those used by fly fishermen all over the world. They are created using fur and feathers tied around a hook to convince trout that they are getting a terrific meal if they bite them.
What does this have to do with "Biblical Fundamentals"? Well, it is very common in churches today that we confuse that which is holy and sacred with that which is created by man for his pleasure or comfort. We confuse what we do to worship and love God with what we must do to present the Gospel in an attractive way to Pre-Christians. We can better understand this difference by careful consideration of the trout fly.
In order to attract a trout to the fly, the angler must know what the fish is eating and why. He (or she) must know what attracts the fish, what repels the fish, when it eats, and how to naturally present the fly itself. Knowing the environmental factors that encourage feeding, such as high and low pressure systems, helps as well.
If you look again at the two fly boxes above, you'll notice a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors of fur and feathers used to imitate midges, nymphs, surface flies, baitfish, and even worms. They are each different. And yet, each fly has one thing in common. Each one has a hook!
If we think of the Pre-Christian as the one we are trying to attract using the "fur and feathers" of special events, relational groups, facilities, community services, and other ways to get close to them, we will understand that these must be as different as each of these trout flies. They must respond very locally to what attracts, what repels, and what helps make the Pre-Christians' lives work - from their point of view.
And yet, no matter what we do to get close to the Pre-Christian, it must not alter the administration of the Word and Sacraments (the "hook"). We do not need to reinvent the Gospel. It has been "catching fish" for centuries. But we need to constantly reinvent the "fur and feathers" to attract the next generation of believers.
Martin Luther, the founder of the Protestant church, along with his colleague Philip Melangthon, said it this way in 1530 A.D. in the Augsberg Confession, Article VII:
"And to the true unity of the Church it is enough to agree concerning the doctrine of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments. Nor is it necessary that human traditions, that is, rites or ceremonies, instituted by men, should be everywhere alike."
Jesus promised to teach us to be "fishers of men". The fly box help us remember the difference between what is holy (the "hook" of the Word and Sacraments) and what is changeable (the "fur and feathers" of everything else).
Soli Deo Gloria!