“Where no oxen are, the manger is clean,
But much revenue comes by the strength of the ox.” Proverbs 14:4 (LSB)

I remember hearing a pastor say that he had to fire the church custodian because he was constantly complaining about the messes people were leaving in the church. He complained when they left bulletins in the pews, and paper towels in the bathroom trash, and when he had to constantly vacuum because their shoes tracked in dirt and grass. In his discussions with the pastor that led up to his eventual firing, the pastor continuously reminded this janitor that the whole reason he had a job was because the people were leaving these little messes!

Some of you might remember the days when grandmothers used to cover the couch with plastic to preserve it for “company.” They had special china, special towels, and special silverware. It was like they were expecting the President of the United States to pop over and have coffee, and they wanted to be ready! If you visited anyone’s house that had this sort of mindset, or you lived in such a home, then you understand that it was like visiting a museum—nice to look at but you wouldn’t want to live there!

Unfortunately, some people can have a similar attitude about their church. They liked the orderliness when there weren’t any children running around. They liked singing the same old hymns of their youth. They like the hush and echo of a solemn sanctuary. And then the church begins to see new people!

These new people bring in children—who are okay if they only behave and stop acting like…children! And then they want to change everything—the music, the carpet that was installed in 1976, the signs out front… Soon the church is ringing with noise and filled with messes! “Oh pastor!” they say, “I remember the good old days when we didn’t need to worry about all these people and we could just worship God in the old-fashioned way—as God meant it to be!”

Hear Solomon’s words: Yes, when there were no oxen in the stable, the pens and manger were clean. That is because there is no longer life on the farm. And is a farm without animals even a farm? And if there are no oxen, then there can be no plow to turn the soil. Which means there can be no or very few crops. And if no crops, then is it a farm? And if there are no crops, then how can the farmer hope to feed any other animals? How can he survive?

It is a wonder that so many churches cut off the life of the church and drive away new people through their denial of any change, and then are astonished that their pastor leaves when he cannot feed his family with what they pay him. No oxen, no crops, no food and no feed al amount to no life. The church pews and steeple may be pretty to look at. The church bell may have rung out in an earlier generation, but now sits silent. And still, there are churches that say to themselves, “This new generation doesn’t care about God anymore.” Perhaps there needs to be some more mediation upon the words of Solomon.