While specific to the SBC, this article hits many of the same issues that I posted previously. When you hear over and over that the issue is getting “back to the basics”–the same basics that most churches never left–you know that any denomination’s leadership is as clueless as they can be about the reality surrounding their own decline.
The issue is that “the basics” are no longer a part of the culture, thus getting “back to the basics” doesn’t affect the culture. Sadly, it gives us a sense of false hope as if merely doing things by rote is the answer. “Pray more.” What about responding to and living out the answers to prayer that God is already giving? “Pray more.” What if God has given the answer, but we’ve so assured ourselves of what the answer should be that we don’t recognize the voice of God when He speaks? “Pray more.” What happens when the answers to those prayers are then equated with “worldliness” or “cultural accommodation”?
“Witness more.” Really? What if it takes years to prepare the soil so that the seed of the gospel can even be watered, much less take root? Have we forgotten that seed thrown on hard soil can actually be washed away by water, not to mention plucked up by the Devil? All those smashmouth evangelism efforts may have accomplished absolutely nothing in the way of preparing human hearts. “Witness more.” What if damage control from a thousand hypocritical Christians has to be put into place before the unbeliever will even give us a hearing? “Witness more.” What if they have never understood one word of our gospel spiel since we are, for all intents and purposes, not speaking a language they understand?
“Don’t be like the culture.” I’ve got news for you we are already like the culture. Our presence is part of what makes the culture. What we do not need to be like is the world: living by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. Playing an Eagles song in a worship service is no more worldly than going to an opera the night before. “Don’t be like the culture.” And how, exactly does one suppose to get the gospel into it? Open the windows of the temple and throw the seed toward the target? If we are not living in the culture, not only are we not living like sojourners and pilgrims, we are not living like Christ.
How about let’s get back to these basics: (1) Exegeting the culture so as to infiltrate it with the kingdom of God. (2) Befriending those who are victims of the Enemy rather than treating them like the enemy. (3) Using stones to create God-honoring landscapes, rather than throwing them at those who aren’t like us (that’s actually a metaphor). (4) Actually being salt and light in our cultures rather than thinking that we already are by virtue of being saved. (5) Leaving behind all the quasi-religious, expired denominational, hindering traditions that weigh us down so that we can run with endurance the race that is set before us.
End of rant.
