I love culture. Its complex, it's beautiful, and its the structure in which society functions and operates. Culture is full of wonderful and hideous elements of humanity, but it is essential. Culture is the stumbling block of Americans...and the Church. Americans often are insensitive to cultures other than theirs. Christians typically are either far removed from culture to the point of irreverence or they try so hard that they make it awkward. Why is this? I haven't a clue.
(The above pic can be found on http://www.stuffchristianculturelikes.com/2008/08/15-believing-that-america-is-christian.html)
It is important to understand that the Church is a creator of culture, but to some degree must be aware of the culture that it indwells. Never to conform to the culture and give in to sin or be lax on doctrine, but adaptive none the less. To be apart of culture does take some thoughtful effort, but it should not be such a strain. There is such a thing as..."overkill" (or should we call it "overtweet"?).
Not a day does by that I do not see a picture or some text on Facebook that makes me "smh" (shake my head). I am appalled by the "Share if you love Jesus! Don't if you love Satan" posts. What point is there to this? To manipulate people's weak consciences and emotional states to get them to post something? Does reposting a picture bring some sort of legitimacy to your love of God? You may not think this is a big deal...but what happens when statements like these leave the confines of Facebook and simple matter of reposting and enter into the Church -culture in the real world? What happens when pastors and/or youth pastors start making these kind of statements to get people to do what they want them to? It's a dangerous place to be.
Along the same lines of the previous paragraph, why do so many Christians leave weird hash-tags?
#ChrsitansLivinItReal
#GodLovesMe
#LivinTheBlessedLife (I laugh every time)
#Truth
#TheWord
..and the list goes on. I'm not saying it's wrong to say these things or that the statements are untrue. I'm simply questioning our overuse of these statements and what appears to be a need for people to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you #LoveJesus or that your #BlessedAndHighlyFavored (I actually hate this one for a variety of personal and theological reasons). What I'm saying is go and be real. Be "in the World but not of it" in such away that you are light in the World and salt to the culture.
#PeaceBeUponYou (lol)
Stepheno Verde
It is important to understand that the Church is a creator of culture, but to some degree must be aware of the culture that it indwells. Never to conform to the culture and give in to sin or be lax on doctrine, but adaptive none the less. To be apart of culture does take some thoughtful effort, but it should not be such a strain. There is such a thing as..."overkill" (or should we call it "overtweet"?).
Not a day does by that I do not see a picture or some text on Facebook that makes me "smh" (shake my head). I am appalled by the "Share if you love Jesus! Don't if you love Satan" posts. What point is there to this? To manipulate people's weak consciences and emotional states to get them to post something? Does reposting a picture bring some sort of legitimacy to your love of God? You may not think this is a big deal...but what happens when statements like these leave the confines of Facebook and simple matter of reposting and enter into the Church -culture in the real world? What happens when pastors and/or youth pastors start making these kind of statements to get people to do what they want them to? It's a dangerous place to be.
Along the same lines of the previous paragraph, why do so many Christians leave weird hash-tags?
#ChrsitansLivinItReal
#GodLovesMe
#LivinTheBlessedLife (I laugh every time)
#Truth
#TheWord
..and the list goes on. I'm not saying it's wrong to say these things or that the statements are untrue. I'm simply questioning our overuse of these statements and what appears to be a need for people to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you #LoveJesus or that your #BlessedAndHighlyFavored (I actually hate this one for a variety of personal and theological reasons). What I'm saying is go and be real. Be "in the World but not of it" in such away that you are light in the World and salt to the culture.
#PeaceBeUponYou (lol)
Stepheno Verde
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