Creating Versus Conforming

Tyler, I grew up in Silicon Valley, the land of innovation. The rate of innovation and creativity in business far exceeds that of church.

I would offer that the basic form of church has changed very little, or at least at a very slow pace over the last 1700 years. It has shifted much int he last twenty, but not even close to the pace of business in general. Where church tends to keep to itself in the religious sphere, business broadens itself to any space of life that needs improvement. And one could say that in some ways, business does a better job of ending suffering.

But the church will always be the light of the world, so the creative ways we influence culture will last much longer.

Where the church will always lead the world, from my perspective, is in taking care of the poor and the oppressed. There’s just not incentive for businesses to do that.

I can’t think of worse examples of creative culture than American Idol! LOL

I do happen to think the “business world” or “corporate America” has already looked to the church for better ways of conducting business.

In a Western culture characterized so much by individualism and consumerism, I think some businesses have taken cues from the Church.

For example, I work out at a fitness center called Planet Fitness. It’s a national franchise that markets itself as the “Judgment Free Zone.” Planet Fitness has become hugely successful because of low membership dues and because of the friendly, nonjudgmental community that fosters an environment of physical and mental wellness. Nonjudgmental. Community. Sound familiar? At least in theory, these are characteristics embodied by the Church.

On the contrary, I think many churches have been a bit too ‘over-inovated’ and focused more on technology, blogs, Twitter, and virtual community. True, technology can and SHOULD be used to reach out to people, but it shouldn’t be the main focus.

I know I’m old school, sometimes I still use smoke signals to communicate.

neither, the local church is stuck in its own world where fear and pride is what matters most and determines the attitude it’s people will have.

Within the wide spectrum of how the local church is flushed out I see this being far beyond just technology and web 2.0 stuff. Being innovative is happening in conversations and changes in local churches of all types.

Come on….there are worse examples. Although them singing “Shout to the Lord” last year did them no favors.

personally, yonas, i think we should all just go get coffee and talk about revolution in our world over mocha’s and muffins.

then again, here we are creative people participating in the blog world.

what i see is the church sliding to one extreme or another…trying to conform too much or doing a half-wit job w/ creativity. this is as a WHOLE, not everyone specifically .

but i’ll tell ya, i think kirk cameron is a terrible actor…that’s probably worse than american idol. sorry.

i think we just need to be real and as creative as God has made us to be…by doing so we won’t have to institute anything in the church or become anything as the church, we will just be- and reach people much more effectively.

a little sporadic today…sorry.

Ah I like Mochas…

Ash says: i think we just need to be real and as creative as God has made us to be…by doing so we won’t have to institute anything in the church or become anything as the church, we will just be- and reach people much more effectively.

Which is spot on. This “cultural relevance” focus, which has infected the church and its body for some time now, is at best a distraction, and at worst, allowing some of the more unhealthy.. might I say evil, aspects of a poisoned culture to inject itself. We all want to appear “cool”, and “with it”, and “hip”. No one wants to appear to be square, and the culture goes out of its way to make the church appear that way. This makes it all the harder to do the right thing, which in my opinion, is keeping our collective eye on the ball of bringing people to Christ, and strengthening those of us already in the Body. If in doing so we have to shun the culture, or appear to be uncool, so then so bit. In the end, that determination, and strength, is exactly what will attract people.. as it’s so truly retro to do so these days.

Using Twitter, and blogging, and signing cool songs, and looking the part on stage… all of that is fine, but it MUST be tertiary to what matters most. My fear is that these cultural aspects become too easily the focus, and then those nastier elements of the cultural come along for the ride, as most simply don’t or can’t tell the difference between what aspect of the culture is benign, and what is eat you alive if given a toe-hold.

Just my 2 cents

definitely. if we’re TRYING to do those things to win people “over,” we’ll fail and people will be turned off. but if we’re doing them b/c…well that’s what we are and what we like to do and is part who we are and the culture we’re living in…then we will see people open to us, to the cross, to something w/ more significance. and ultimately succeed.