Whiz bang.\u00a0 Lights.\u00a0 Cameras.\u00a0 Text overlaid on video.\u00a0 Rock bands.\u00a0 These are things that we usually expect to see on television or at music festivals.\u00a0 Yet more and more we are seeing them in what has come to be an unexpectedly expected place:\u00a0 church.\u00a0 I know, I know, I’m late to the game, you say.\u00a0 Churches have been moving this direction for a while.\u00a0 Well, ours hasn’t.\u00a0 We’re just now starting to think about it.<\/p>\n
Our culture is visual.\u00a0 We can’t drive anywhere without seeing some kind of billboard, even in the country.\u00a0 Magazines greet us at every checkout lane and television seems to be on perpetually.\u00a0 We can’t pretend that all of the visual things people are used to don’t influence how we retain information – even within a church service.\u00a0 We have a responsibility, as Paul said, to “become all things to all people so that by all means (we) might save some.”\u00a0 But that doesn’t mean any type of compromise.\u00a0 We have three choices when it comes to culture:\u00a0 ignore it, embrace it, or engage it.<\/p>\n
Although the only choice we have is to engage the culture by finding ways to use what the culture is use to and redeeming it, I can’t help but wonder if embracing the fast pace of the visuals we’re used to might cheapen the peace and stillness that God provides in His Word.\u00a0 We read in the Old Testament that God was not in the fire, or the earthquake, but the still small voice.\u00a0 Yet, unfortunately, the people of our culture that we need to reach the most might not even listen if we don’t speak their language.<\/p>\n
I know there are strong opinions on this, but I’d love to have some constructive discussion from you.\u00a0 What is your philosophy on redeeming cultural tools?\u00a0 How have you implemented these things and have you seen good results?\u00a0 If you shy away from these types of things – why?\u00a0 I’m still trying to sort some things out as I think about future vision for our church and would love any input you could offer.<\/p>\n