Thought I’d repeat some of Dean Trulear’s comments regarding the culture change at a recent emerging conference. Things that may hinder our church culture change:
In a world of change, we tend to seek places where I don’t have to have change. Trulear says, “Its hardest to mobilize the person who attends bible study every day.” He says so because they come primarily for stability and comfort. In fact, this may be what drives the desire to form mega churches. He suggests that mega churches create a mega-illusion (not growing up stealing sheep, focusing on the external bells/whistles, without showing the
But rather than see that our individualist culture is going to hell in a handbasket, Trulear suggests there are artifacts of true biblical community showing up just the same, and these are signs of hope.
1. Clothing: supposedly an expression of individualism, but really clothes identify people with others of the same kind
2. Friends with Benefits: the hook-up is all about the sexual experience, and yet it isn’t anonymous sex. If it were all about sex, then why not just seek truly no strings attached sex?
3. Rap & R & B: Despite the popularity of individualist rap, R & B (all about love and relationship) still flourishes
4. Loyalty over honesty: Why do stars still hang with their homies? Because of loyalty. Unfortunately, the value of loyalty clouds the need for honesty.
5. Gangs are families: Gangs sometimes perform deaconal services better than the church
Question: How do we teach Seminarians to love looking for the vestiges of the Gospel in current culture, no matter how pagan it may be. If Romans 1 is true, then whatever decadence the World develops, we’ll still see signs of the Gospel–and therefore find entry gates to the human heart.
Musings on Faith and Psychology 