What is really relevant?

I struggle a lot with the concept of ‘cultural relevance’ and what it means and how it applies to the church.

For me a simple definition is using or adopting current methods, technologies, language, music, dress, etc. as a way to relate to and attract other members of the culture at large to the church. It sounds simple enough.

Where I get concerned is with the constant changes in the culture. Some will say the culture has been declining for centuries all to the detriment of society. While others will say we haven’t changed enough through the centuries all to the detriment of society..

Overall I think the cultural mores have continuously declined because the culture is made up mostly of those who are more interested in enjoying the secular pleasures of life on earth and are not interested in being like Christ or living in eternity. This can be identified by the tolerance and eagerness shown for changes in language, dress, music, drugs, crime, videos, mores etc. by society

So how far should the church go in integrating those cultural changes into the activities and the culture of the church? The Apostle Paul had to write letters to the Corinthians to tell them that they were way too much like the culture and that they needed to knock it off.

If the community only knows a church because it does cultural things that no other church does or will do then I wonder if we are glorifying God by our actions. This doesn’t mean that service projects shouldn’t be done because this is a way we show Christ to the community and show them that we love them. But this is for God’s glory not our’s and not the church’s.

When I see posts on Facebook that brag about the music played or the topics discussed or the videos played at a church it causes me to wonder. Is that really what God wants? Why aren't we posting how great that God is? Or what God is doing in our lives?

My personal view is that the church, the music, the videos, etc. should not be more important to people than God. But it doesn’t mean that we don’t use the music, videos etc. as a way to attract people.

Just as the music we grew up with has faded in importance in our lives so will the cultural things change and fade in importance for each of us over time. Learning to love God and to live for Him can last forever but we have to make that decision daily so we don’t fall away.

A Christian who stops following God becomes a hypocrite in the eyes of the non-believers and causes them to question the importance or the necessity of following Christ in their life. Impressing non-believers with cultural relevance is not enough. Helping them become committed followers is essential.

I think showing people that we, in the church, are different than the people they know in the culture because we are committed to Christ is what will attract them to want to know Christ. Cultural adaptations alone won’t do it. We are called to be like Christ and to treat people the way he did. Our direction is to love God and to love others. And note that loving God comes first and by doing that we can love others.

So how do we know when we have gone too far in the church in becoming like the culture? We need to know what the Bible says and what God wants us to do. We can discern this through reading and studying the Bible, regular prayer, associating with others more mature in their relationship with Christ than us and being open to questions or concerns raised by those attending the church. God has given us the Holy Spirit to help us to discern these types of things.

I think it is important to get this right.