A Simple Question
April 7, 2008 | 4 comments
JasonI’ve got a burning question that I hope will help to shape our church in this stage of infancy. How is it that we can keep this from being a typical church blog? To explain: A Typical Church Blog would go something like this:
“The great mayor of Seattle, Greg Nickels, announced today that he is proposing a 20-cent surcharge for all grocery bags to combat pollution and global warming. You know, that sounds a lot like what Jesus did when he asked us to sacrifice in our own lives, but instead of 20 cents at a time, he said greater love has no man than…to lay down his life for another.”
It’s not that there’s anything wrong with referencing current events, but so often it seems to come off as…gimicky. You know, like the Christian pop bands that sound the same as a real band minus half the talent plus lyrics that contain the name of God. Or like advertising for your Easter service that the Famous Athlete (read: local god) Shaun Alexander will be at the church. How about touting C-list celebrities who have hit rock bottom (which is where Jesus finds so many of us) and are now willing to deign to appear on TBN?
What these sad attempts indicate is a lack of confidence in Jesus. Why is it that we think we need to add something to what Jesus has done? We were created with a God shaped hole, and union with Jesus is our highest possible good and joy—that is what the church has to offer. Is there something out there that can beat that? “Yeah, I know I can get eternal life, but this church is giving away free Ipod’s!” Does that not cheapen Jesus a little bit? We have what the world needs—the last thing we need is a lackluster attempt to make it look like something you’d get from the world.
What’s lacking in the facade of gimicky Christianity is authenticity. Authenticity is one of Taproot’s core values, and it is what we will strive for. So I won’t tell you that you should come to our church for the celebrities, the Mcdonalds, or the Disneyland-like child care (yes, because those things are gimicky, but more importantly because we don’t have any of them). You should come to this church because we want to exalt Jesus above all else, and that is what you and this world needs.
p.s. My wife wanted me to add that we do have childcare—it’s just not like Disneyland.
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The Discussion
April 8th, 2008
AlexisGood word Jason. Alright, I’ll let go of the whole IPOD idea. ;)
April 13th, 2008
Terry ShermanI agree, people aren’t out looking for gimmicks. “They” (sinners) want exactly what “we” (sinners saved by grace) want: to understand and embrace our core questions - who am I? why am I here? how can my life mean something? I prayed my first prayer when I was 15, and I’m still learning the answer to those questions. These days I’m being awed by the ways of God - how He has designed things to work in a way that will give us the satisfaction we want in life if we will just follow His instruction book. When we live out His way of life, it attracks people. When we love, respect, help, serve, correct in love and affirm each other, people long for it themselves. So yes, let’s live authentically with each other and encourage each other in this way of life.
April 14th, 2008
DannyOne thought that a guy put in my head the other day was the fact that most Christians think of “lost” people as absolutely miserable and empty. In reality most Americans in their affluence are just fine, feeling good, home lives are O.K. etc… I suppose the question that this raises in my mind is if “lost” folks are just as authentically happy as we born again’s, what is our line of authenticity in an affluent, peaceful, joyful, lost world?
Great points Terry, thanks for hanging with us.
May 10th, 2008
JessicaI agree that not all people are out there looking for the flash, and authenticity is essential in our lives as Christians, but if that shiny new ipod gets that one person to church and they meet Jesus isn’t it worth it? I don’t think it’s a lack of faith or confidence in Jesus that people try to use things like this to draw nonbelievers in, I think it’s more of God using any method done in His name to bring people to Him. I think sometimes we as Christians can see it as adding to the awesomeness of Jesus, but when Jesus spoke in the Gospels He fed people a lot…I think it’s more of just having faith that God’s going to use whatever you have, authenticity, food, an ipod, to bring people to himself. People are attracted to different things, but God is attracted to the people and I think He’s going to use anything He can to get to their hearts.
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