Remember Travel Agencies?

Years ago, if I had to take a trip that involved a flight, I found the simplest way to book the tickets was to go to a travel agent. My local agent would look on her computer at the airlines and find the flight that best suited my need. Since I either didn't have a computer at the time, the travel agent saved me time on the phone shopping with various airlines.

She would select my flight, book my rental car and make the hotel reservations right there from her desk. It was simple. All I had to do was either drive to her office or call her on the phone.

And there was an abundance of agencies in the area competing for my business. Every shopping center, it seemed had a travel agent renting a storefront.

Today I looked up Travel Agents in the yellow pages. Guess what? In our phone book there is one listed...something called "Cruises Inc". One, and they specialize in one thing. What happened?

Of course, you know the answer. The internet, with .coms like Travelocity, CheapSeats, Kayak, etc. put the travel agent out of business. Now I can book my flights, rent my car, and reserve my room or choose my cabin online in the comfort of my home at my convenience. I haven't been to a travel agent in years.

I'm sorry for the travel agents, but it's not a bad thing. It's just the way technology has changed how we do life. Convenience, as far as I'm concerned, is a good thing in my busy life.

And who writes checks anymore? Most of us no longer carry cash, but use a debit card. Our regular household bills are paid by automatic bank withdrawal. That's another way technology has changed how we do life.

Like most areas of life, the church is usually the last to catch on. (Are you still sitting on 17th century pews?) At my church we have web sites, blogs and more than one Facebook group. So, we're not totally in the dark ages. But, I'm pleased that starting this week our church has just made online giving an option for our congregation.

Why did it take us this long?

Oh, we'll continue to pass the offering bag around. Some prefer to bring their tithes to "the storehouse" in person, and that's cool. But for those of us who are apt to forget to bring it physically, we'll now be able to send it electronically. And that's cool, too.

And the best is yet to come!

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us.

And the government will rest on his shoulders.

These will be his royal titles:

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

His ever expanding, peaceful government will never end.

He will rule forever with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David.

The passionate commitment of the LORD Almighty will guarantee this!

The Prophet Isaiah

c. 700 BC

Being relevant...

I have to confess. Not too long ago (in the 21st century) I found this in a church literature rack and had to take one. This was there for the taking, presumably by the uninitiated and/or curious.

At first I couldn't resist laughing. But it's really not funny.

On the back of the brochure is a date. 1971.

Now, I remember 1971. I turned 16 in 1971. And I'm sure a lot of men in my church looked like these two. But you gotta wonder what the Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention (yes, my denomination...) was thinking with this pose and these models. Who were they trying to attract with that?

It's kind of scary!

Even more stupifying is trying to figure out why a church 30plus years after this tract was published still has it out for the taking? Is anyone there paying attention? I mean not just to their literature, but to the world that has passed them by?

I know the answer, because I know the church. And if you take a look at their dwindling congregation, guess who you'll see? The guy in the picture is still there!

Unfortunately his children and grandchildren are nowhere to be found.