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January 04, 2007
7 Big Questions (Repeated)
If you recieve the 850 WORDS OF RELEVANT for 01.02.07 then you probably have already read this. I thought it was pretty good so I'm going to go against my better judgement and post someone else's work on my blog.
Editor's Note: In the latest issue of RELEVANT, we got the chance to ask seven leaders about seven big questions facing the Church. Here's an excerpt from their responses. To read more, be sure to check out the January/February issue of the mag.What trends in church and worship styles do you see? Are they positive or negative?
Mark Driscoll: I'll be happy when we have more than just prom songs to Jesus sung by some effeminate guy on an acoustic guitar offered as mainstream worship music. Right now most worship music is still coming from the top down through such things as Christian radio and record labels. But the trend today in a lot of churches is writing your own music to reflect your culture and community, and I pray this trend of music from the bottom up continues.
What is a negative tendency of this generation as it relates to the faith?
Efrem Smith: I'm very concerned about the continual influence of consumerism Christianity and a Christianity that is very self-centered. Even in some of the social justice initiatives that I see, I wonder at times if it's really about social change and kingdom advancement or if it's about the sense of accomplishment and adventure one gets from the experience. Christian television (even with its good side) seems to push consumerism, capitalism and individualism. It's not that these traits are so sinful as much as it limits the Gospel message and keeps us from kingdom community and reconciliation.What positive tendency do you see in this generation?
Lauren Winner: I look around me, and see people willing to name and sit with doubt. I see people taking seriously our charge to steward the earth. I see people questioning culturally specific gender roles that have been, in an earlier generation, presented as holy writ. I see people who sense that the Gospel is not a call to compartmentalization, but a call to love that encompasses all of our life.What do you see as the greatest challenge for a young Christian in the next 10 years?
Frederica Mathewes-Green: I am afraid that every Christian is going to be increasingly challenged by violent Islam in ways that will be harder and harder to tacitly ignore. Ironically, much of what Islam hates about America are things that Christians ought to likewise resist: gluttonous consumption, recreational shopping, celebrity culture, trashing of the environment, the trivializing of sex, the sexualizing of children, the killing of unborn children, artificializing women's bodies, depriving boys and men of a coherent and worthy identity, jingoism, any belief that being "American" takes precedence over membership in the body of Christ. If we are going to face the threat of death for what we believe (as Christians have been doing for 1300 years in Africa, Asia and the Middle East), let it truly be for what we believe, and not for Angelina Jolie, the "4th Meal" and extra cupholders.How should Christians be involved in the political system?
Rob Bell: At our church we bring out the fact that the Gospel is obviously political, yet we are aggressively non-partisan. We are interested in being a voice for those who have no voice. Too often the party line becomes, "If you're a Christian, then of course you're voting like us," and that's crazy. As the people of God, our postures should be aggressively non-partisan and always veering toward the oppressed and the marginalized and those who have no voice, as opposed to the endless self-preservation and protection.How can a Christian fulfill a passion for social justice as a middle-class American?
Rick Warren: The Bible teaches that pursuing social justice isn't an option for a follower of Jesus. We must care about what God cares about most—and that is bringing lost souls home to Him. But our ministry is to the whole person, not just His spiritual emptiness. Clearly, God cares about His creations—the billions of people He's placed on this planet who now suffer at the hands of injustice, not only spiritual emptiness, but also egocentric leadership, poverty, disease and inadequate education. You may not be able to personally make a difference for everyone, but you can make a difference for someone.Where and how do you feel Christians can have the most impact on culture?
Erwin McManus: We are presently in a cultural tide pool: music, fashion, art, film, church. Culture is in an imitative frenzy. Imitation is good as long as it moves us to emulation, which should move us to innovation, which is where we begin to express and experience our uniqueness. It is time to risk and create the future. This is where we can have the greatest impact on culture. We can choose to create a compelling future. There is never simply one future being created. There are always competing futures at play. The ones that are most powerful and compelling become magnetic and create a force of human momentum. That's how movements start. Someone decides there needs to be a tear in human history. The past as we have known it needs to come to a close and a new future must be created. And isn't this the ultimate calling of the Church: To create the future?
Posted by paul at January 4, 2007 09:10 AM