My son, Jeff, and I went to a University of Texas baseball game over the weekend. (I'm not really a UT fan. I don't dislike them, but my college sports loyalties lie with other schools.) The campus is only 25 minutes from our house and it was a sunny day in the eighties, so we decided to watch them play Penn State on Friday afternoon.
We had a nice time. Texas has a great facility and an excellent team. They're ranked #4 in the Baseball America poll. I think what impressed me most was the precise coordination of their pregame routine. There were balls flying all over the field, but everybody knew where they were supposed to be and when, so no one took a ball off the noggin.
Besides all that, there was something else that impressed me. They, and I think other top level teams, have an interesting blend of tradition and drive. It serves them well.
It's typical of schools to have slogans, mascots, cheers and other practices that have been around so long that they become a part of that school's identity. At UT, one such tradition is the singing of "The Eyes of Texas are Upon You" while everyone raises their right hands with the "Hook 'em Horns" sign.
They sang it twice. The first time was right after the national anthem. (I'm glad it was in that order!) The second time was after the game. We didn't know they would sing it then. We were already on our way out and just kept going. I figured it would give us a jump on traffic. It did feel a little sacrilegious though, kind of like walking out of church during the invitation song.
But I have the impression the goal of the school is not to maintain the tradition; it is to succeed at whatever they do. So they work hard to stay apprised of innovations that will help them. If you visit the training facilities, offices, and video recording rooms of major universities, you will find the latest and best technology. During the off season, their coaches will be exploring how they can do things better. In the case of the UT baseball team, they are not resting on the laurels of six national championships, but are dedicated to winning the next one.
It seems to me that a lot of churches and other organizations have trouble striking that balance. Some of us are prone to living in the past. Although we might not say it out loud, we don't want to do anything that might somehow lessen the value we place on where we have been. We'll sacrifice the future in an attempt to preserve the past. Others of us are continually grasping for the new and exciting. We are so bent on moving forward that we lose out on the strength and wisdom that comes from knowing where we have been.
Not surprisingly, Jesus struck the perfect balance. In his own life, he had the end goal in mind, but he knew who he was and where he had come from. He challenged his followers to see themselves in light of the long history of God's people, but also to be new wineskins. For Jesus, the present was always lived in the context of the past and the future.
I have observed that those churches who appear to be making an impact, whether they be large institutional churches or small house churches, have a pretty good grasp on this. They have roots that run deep in the history of God's people, even if they are new churches, but aren't afraid to send new branches out in areas where there are opportunities for growth. I hope more of us will find that balance.
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