Nothing New, Part One

In the book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 1, verse 9, it says "what has been done is what will be and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun." This Bible verse has been quoted and used with variations in many places. I guess that makes it like a self-fulfilling prophesy. Another familiar version of this is "history repeats itself". So many bands have used this as well like Sublime, Extreme, Coldplay, Meatloaf, Pink Floyd.  I'm sure each of these bands presents their song as new, while singing "there is nothing new".  Ironic. It is interesting how you can look at what is new.  A song can be new...or is it?  With only 13 notes in the western music arsenal, how many ways can we arrange them to form a melody nobody has heard? Check out Axis of Awesome sometime on Youtube. They have a video showing a 4 chord progression that is used by countless songs. The same music, yet different ways to sing around that same music.  It makes all of these songs sound as if they are the same song. Sometimes the bands don't even know they are repeating music already done. They may feel as if they have created something new, until someone compares their song in court to an obscure tune written 30 years ago by Jimmy-Bob's uncle.
If we look around at new stuff, we can find that many times it is not really new, but perhaps improved somehow.  There are the fancy labels of new AND improved, which to me is an oxymoron.  How could anything be improved if it wasn't there before? Improved from what? It is either new OR it is improved, pick one please.
The church tries to do that too often. We think we have created something new. "Let's try this new idea" "Lets use this Bible verse (2000 years old), and combine it with this sermon I heard (2 weeks ago but with a story that was 35 years old), and throw in a video clip (from a movie created 3 years ago) and it is new!
So can we make a case for anything new? Our church has many young families. In the last few weeks we have seen the birth of some new babies. They seem pretty new to me. They weren't here a year ago and I didn't interview the parents, but even just the idea of this person didn't exist before the parents met.  I know God knew, but these people didn't.  If we measure it against the verse mentioned earlier, certainly making babies has been done, so in that regard, a new baby is not something people haven't done before.
Happy New Year, a new car, New York.  Look how many things are labeled new. Open a new browser, write a new blog post, or let's just watch the news on television. We do think of new as better.  Who buys a used projector when you can buy a new one? Challenge the Bible verse above by telling me what you think is new under the sun. I will challenge you to think outside your definition of new and try the Bible's version.  Also keep in mind while there is nothing new for us, God can create new, and we are not God.  Read part two next week on the internet and coffee.  For those of you reading this later, you won't have to wait for next week. You can read it now.