True, as we are transformed into the image of God, we change. And there are some changes we make individually or as a corporate body that may inspire greater godliness, but godliness can also be produced in the forbearance we experience when the church doesn’t meet with our expectations. At our family get-togethers, our young would enjoy karaoke at full-throttle, while our old want to play bingo or quietly look at old photos. But it is amazing how many young people have been blessed when they stopped long enough to share some of those quieter moments.

So you want the church here on earth to be like Heaven — If we will be doing it in Heaven, we should be doing it on earth? Well, there is one thing we won’t be doing in Heaven and that is seeking the lost. But it is our mission here on earth. And it has always amazed me how when that becomes our focus, issues such as gender justice, or whatever will be the next wave, fall in their significance. Sometimes, while seeking the lost, the church actually does make changes in directions that match with our tastes, and sometimes not — but the Fruit of the Spirit it produces in us, regardless of the externals, is a much greater gift than whether or not the music matches with our tastes or women participate in every aspect of worship.

A change imposed is a change opposed. -Spencer Johnson