Rethinking some stuff
So last night I went to a youth rally with Josh McDowell and Superchick in Rapid City. I'm usually hesitant by these things 'cause I know that I'll probably get disappointed. I really need to stop being so critical. I guess that the major problem that I observed that I observed wasn't really with Josh or Superchick per se; but rather, I'm just getting frustrated at the little "Christian" pop culture that we've created.
I grew up in a pretty strict Baptist church that was always condemning secular pop culture as evil and "worldly." This church also taught that "Christian" forms of pop culture were just as evil. So when I was a teenager, I couldn't listen to rock music of any kind--Christian or secular. As I grew older, I started noticing a tendency in our fundamentalist background of isolating ourselves from the world. We talked alot about separation and holiness. We were so separated that we were completely cut off from lost people.
So I started getting really interested in Christian rock and how these guys were reaching folks for Jesus. Yet the more I started listening to pop Christian music, the more I noticed how trite it all seems. A few months ago, I watched Saved! Unfortunately, for the most part, the movie nailed our little Christian sub-culture that we're created. We are often that trite and that cliche. In fact, it was hard to tell the difference between the satirical mc on that movie and the mc from Josh McDowell's deal last night. And just like my fundamentalist Baptist church, we have isolated ourselves from the world.
I never saw that one coming. By focusing on making little Christian pop substitutes for everything in mainstream culture, we cut ourselves off from influencing society and culture at large. We need Christians that start working out our faith in every aspect of culture. Redeeming culture. When guys like Bach and Handel wrote music in their day, they were the very best at what they did. And they didn't worry about just writing music that would be played in church. Sure they wrote music that ended up in the hymnal, but they focused on doing everything to God's glory. Someone can write a love song to the glory of God and at the same time it should be a good enough song for the majority of our culture to enjoy it. It's good to see some Christians starting to do this. I have in mind folks like U2, Switchfoot or even POD. We won't redeem culture by creating our own little pop sub-culture. We need to think bigger than that.
I grew up in a pretty strict Baptist church that was always condemning secular pop culture as evil and "worldly." This church also taught that "Christian" forms of pop culture were just as evil. So when I was a teenager, I couldn't listen to rock music of any kind--Christian or secular. As I grew older, I started noticing a tendency in our fundamentalist background of isolating ourselves from the world. We talked alot about separation and holiness. We were so separated that we were completely cut off from lost people.
So I started getting really interested in Christian rock and how these guys were reaching folks for Jesus. Yet the more I started listening to pop Christian music, the more I noticed how trite it all seems. A few months ago, I watched Saved! Unfortunately, for the most part, the movie nailed our little Christian sub-culture that we're created. We are often that trite and that cliche. In fact, it was hard to tell the difference between the satirical mc on that movie and the mc from Josh McDowell's deal last night. And just like my fundamentalist Baptist church, we have isolated ourselves from the world.
I never saw that one coming. By focusing on making little Christian pop substitutes for everything in mainstream culture, we cut ourselves off from influencing society and culture at large. We need Christians that start working out our faith in every aspect of culture. Redeeming culture. When guys like Bach and Handel wrote music in their day, they were the very best at what they did. And they didn't worry about just writing music that would be played in church. Sure they wrote music that ended up in the hymnal, but they focused on doing everything to God's glory. Someone can write a love song to the glory of God and at the same time it should be a good enough song for the majority of our culture to enjoy it. It's good to see some Christians starting to do this. I have in mind folks like U2, Switchfoot or even POD. We won't redeem culture by creating our own little pop sub-culture. We need to think bigger than that.
posted by Daniel | 11:27 AM
3 Comments:
great post! these same things have been on my heart lately. Why do we have to put labels on everything? this is "of the world"... this is "spiritual.." etc.
Ancient Jewish culture saw everything as spiritual. That movie "saved" sure got it right. I wish it wasn't like that. I hope we can change that perseption and just be people. There are "secular" things worthy to be appretiated and christians act like they're worthless. How does that make the person who made the secular music or movie feel? worthless.
I love your thoughts.
Daniel,
This is the reason my youth kids get after me for refusing to patronize Christian concert, knowing very little about Christian Contemporary bands, and not wearing Christian t-shirts. St. Francis of Assisi is rumored to have said, "Preach the gospel to all creation; use words if necessary." I would add, somewhat presumptuously, "and leave your Christian t-shirts, music, culture, language, at home."
Perhaps I have swung too far on this pendulum.
I can't believe that i didn't see this before!!!!!!!!! All i will say at this time is i can't believe you said what you said!!!!!!!!
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