culture relevance and biblical depth

I have read a lot of blog's today, its jeff's fault. For the last year I have been thinking and processing this thought. In August last year I went to Belize for a mission trip. I know that all of us when we get out of our comfort zone and do missions or something we come back all fired up about what is important. Then often times it fades till the next time. Anyways, this thought hasn't faded from my mind. One night after our youth service here in wyoming, I was thinking about how cool and creative it was, how much fun the kids had during the game, how powerfull our time of worship was, and I really felt like the kids had connected with the message. And I remember thinking about the kids in Belize who had no youth pastor, no worship leader (they worshipped with cd's), no fun games, and no fancy lights or comfortable chairs and yet they connected with God. So I thought what would happen to our youth group if we took all the posters down, took out the sound system and just had the guitar and vocals, took away the projector and creative videos, and took out the comfortable couches. What would happen after a few weeks, the first few weeks the kids would love it cause its different, something we have never done. But after a couple weeks they would stop showing up. Now maybe they wouldn't but I did have to think would they really keep coming. Are they coming to connect with eachother and God and really listen to the message and small groups, or do they come just for all the fun, glitz and glamour. Now listen, I am not pushing for a dull boring service, cause you have to connect with them where they are. Kids and for that matter all of us want to have a good time. But sometimes in our entertain me generation I wonder if we just come to church to be entertained or do we come to connect with God. Now understand that I believe every culture is different, we couldn't take american ways and expect some remote tribe in africa to respond to our style, we have to learn their culture. And so this is where our culture is, lights, loud music, rock worship, creative videos, creative stage set up, relevant topics, donuts and coffee before service. So to reach our culture this is where we have to go, but I just want to know that we remain biblically sound and deep. I know a lot of people who loose focus of this and are concerned week to week with being culturally relevant and being the coolest new thing out there, with our 6 different services all with a different style, all that but let biblical and relational depth fade. I am not saying to do away with all this, and not to be culturally relevant. Trust me I love the New Life Church style and the Desperation Conferences, but the flashy experience isn't going to keep me on fire for ever. It will be a relationship with Christ that is vibrantly growing day by day that keeps me on fire.

I met a young pastor who told me I needed to watch mtv at least 1-2 hours a day to know what was relevant among teenagers today. lol. Hogwash. I think thats crap. This is the kind of heart I am talking about.

I am all about being professional in presentation and doing it well cause otherwise you risk being a distraction.

Anyways there is a balance and I just found myself asking and checking am I connecting and really hepling these people connect with God or are we just entertaining them on a weekly basis. Cause in the end I want people that are experiencing the depths of God and not just surface christianity.


for the Lamb's reward
Adam