Is The Church's Desire To Be Culturally Savvy Killing It?
I can’t tell you how many conversations I’ve had that revolve around this very subject. I often wonder about this very thing: are we trying to be so relevant and savvy that we lose the heart of the gospel and what Christ desired for his bride? This article really nailed all those kinds of questions for me. Here is my favorite part:
Our generation, the 18-to-34 set, tend to share a common characteristic. We are remarkably self-satisfied. We are socially aware, politically sensitive and culturally savvy, and we like this about ourselves. The question it raises, however, is if all our sensitivity, savviness and awareness has led anywhere. Certainly, social justice campaigns abound within our generation. One would be loathe to be identified within the subculture without a keen passion for grassroots, countercultural movements. However, where have these movements led? Is ours a generation that is quietly changing the world, or is social conscience just one more accoutrement of fashion for us? An accessory we wear with our Chuck Taylors and horn-rimmed glasses? It seems we’re out not just to change the world, but to impress. The question is, who exactly are we trying to impress? (emphasis mine)
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Tyler Braun.
For me, the answer to the question is a resounding “YES.” We (the church…especially American culture) are a product of the culture we are trying to reach, and that is one of consumerism, narcissism and the constant persuasion of preferences. The thought is that the church should give people what they want (fill in preferences here….music, speaker style, etc.) in order to keep them. Otherwise, they’ll just go somewhere else.
I feel that we’re caught up in a deadly marketing war with other churches. People want the prize that Christ offers. They really do. They just don’t know it because churches tend to just offer the consolation gifts. There are a lot of thoughts on this in my head, but this comment, for now, will have to do. I think that we (as believers) are as much a part of the solution as we are the problem, obviously.
On a positive note, we’re not that unique. I believe that if you’re blogging in 30 years, the same exact question will be very relevant.
Yes.
Tyler, I’ve struggled with this alot as a now 43 year old. I feel like – on some days – I just can’t keep up with all the cool kids. Then I think “what am I keeping up with?”. And why is this more important than being formed into the image of Christ Jesus?
At work (I work at a church like you) I feel it – the pressure to learn THE newest songs, to have the coolest new equipment, etc. To pull the craziest, most memorable teaching “stunt”, to push the envelope more and more. No one says this to me, I just feel it.
So from my perspective, there is a certain amount of pride and self-satisfaction and “look at me, we’ve got it figured out”. Each generation goes through that to some degree as they challenge the norms of the previous generation, but that attitude can be just as prideful as an older generation’s refusal to change.
Bottom line: I see us focusing less on being spiritually transformed and out of that loving the least of these, or caring that people are going to hell. And I see us focusing more and more on what is the newest trend. Always chasing the next new thing.
And that scares me.
My answer would have to be yes. My answer would also have to be no.
There are certainly different strands of church, and this question hits at a number of different thoughts on how Christians engage culture. If you think that Christianity is solely supposed to provide an alternate culture, your answer will be yes, desiring to be culturally savvy is the primary reason we are dying. There are those who would say that the church just baptizes the culture, and they would tend to say that it’s that we’re not engaged enough with culture. While offering a simplification of other approaches there are those of us who believe that we engage culture in a way to transform it.
For me looking to tranform culture manifests as a three fold engagement that I summarize in 3 words: accept, reject, redeem. This is the most helpful grid for me to process culture.
The one thought I would want to finish with though is this: being culturally engaged, and being cool are not the same thing. Being relevant to the questions that our culture processes does not mean that we have to desire to attain cool. Actually, I think maybe the most prophetic thing many of our churches could do would be to filter everything through the reason we are doing it: is it because it connects with something that people are processing, or is it just innovation for the sake of innovation? We will have different answers but we have to ponder that question.
Tyler,
I haven’t read the whole article yet, but your snippet from it pretty much summed up a lot of great stuff.
I really don’t know where I fall on this whole issue. I think there is a great awareness, especially brought to us through our online connectivity, etc. But I’m starting to wonder if we lack the depth to take it any further than just “accoutrement of fashion” as mentioned by the author. I have been reading Henri Nouwen’s, Way of the Heart: Solitude, Silence and Prayer. I’ve read it like 3 times and am about to read it again for the second time this week. I’m struck by the fact that much action comes out of contemplation…and I’m starting to wonder if we haven’t left room for contemplation (all the noise) that would lead to action and the kinds of changes that we talk about over coffee and paste via stickers to our Apple laptops. I’ve been convicted myself….need to think through this.
Rhett
I never know what to think about the issue. The christian community tries to stay connected to its followers and find new ways to engage, whether its through music or websites or movies like Pastor Brown but sometimes it seems forced, as if the best way is just through God’s words and the Church itself.