THIS IS A BIG ONE!
In the States I was part of a church that had a seeker sensitive (design the service for those who are asking questions about the Christian faith) approach to their services. Their heart was great; it was just the approach that ‘missed’ our generation. The quality of music and the idea of the involvement of media was brilliant but they aimed for a style and approach that totally missed the ‘postmodern’ inquirer.
Polished, Christian-sub-cultural productions become what we call ‘cheesy’. We want to see the heart behind things. We want to see what is genuine and above all authentic. In one sense it is not even about the quality of the finished product it is about the heart and genuine motive of the leadership involved being plain to sight.
For example, it is not a secular song being done in a quasi-Christian way (without swear words and innuendo) by some highly gifted band that makes us go, “Whoa that is cool.” It is just a dude jamming on a guitar telling his story and how Christ has invaded and redeemed that story in an authentic, passionate, real way that makes us go, “Man, I want to hear more about that!”
I don’t think I would be wrong in saying this may be one of the fundamentally essential aspects of church and church leadership for ‘our’ generation. I am afraid to say that a huge number of Christian leaders put across an unreal approach to life. U2’s Bono gives some insight into one area of this desire for the authentic when he says that Christian music is typically not real, it is always happy and victorious, whereas the Psalms (the Christian’s song book so to speak) are very different to that and far more ‘believable.’
We must be authentic, in fact more than all other people we should be!
Simon
1 comment:
Interesting piont Bono has but when he speaks of "christian song" 'im guessing we are focusing in a worship focus right? And then in that, are we talking corporate worship in community "in praise" or individual worship with our lives. Worship in a community sense is always praise in a positive direction as we together declare the majesty of our father. This outwardly is an experience of joyous yet heart felt worship. If worship on a sunday morning was more "believable" and maybe the world would suggest more "realistic" and we are thinking seeker senstively, what impression would that give a visiter to the church? that make any sence?
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