New lamps for old ones

The old lamp served Aladdin well, bringing him riches, a kingdom and the love of a beautiful princess. She, seduced by the offer of a new lamp, exchanged his magic lamp for a bright new one. This was the plan of an evil wizard who wanted to get control of its power. Once he got the lamp, disaster followed until Aladdin managed to get the old lamp back.

This metaphor speaks clearly of abandoning traditions in favor of new, more exciting ways of doing things. In church today, and remember that churches are supposedly the bastions of conserving traditions, we heard that this is a time for abandoning traditions. There were smiles on faces, as we like the beautful princess, are eager to get rid of the old lamp, to replace with the new, shiny lamp. We, like the princess, see no value in the traditions we so happily abandon.

I have tried to figure out which traditions -- which old lamps -- are the ones we want to leave behind and which lamps we want to embrace. There must be method to our -- if not madness -- then our desire for the new. My conclusion to date is that we want to get rid of all the traditions that asked for duty, sacrifice, and perhaps even honor. We want to add new rules that allow greater personal freedom. That the price of that freedom may be high, does not seem to be anyone's concern.