On a tip from one of our launch members, I came across a blog by a guy named Ty. In it, Ty made reference to our billboard: IfYouHateChurch.comThe review was moderately critical - though not too harsh. We've seen and heard worse. And while I do appreciate the free publicity, I wouldn't want someone reading his response without offering a short riposte of my own.
Three notes:
1. Ty references statements from two of the videos on the website that deal with the church being relaxed and refreshing. He rebuts by saying that church isn't about you and I, it's about Jesus. He then goes on to say that at church we are to join in fellowship, exalt God above our struggles, and submit our lives to Him. I agree with all of that - and you know what I feel when I've had that experience in a church... you guessed it! Relaxed and Refreshed!
2. Next he voices concern over a line in one of the videos where a guy is seeking a church that is relevant to today. Ty calls this line of reasoning "a product of the modern Gospel". He defends that the gospel is relevant to all people at all times because we all sin. Again, I agree. However, unless we can explain the gospel to them in a way they understand and in concert with the Holy Spirit, they will not see their sinfulness and need for a Savior. Paul did this while in Athens (see Acts 17). He prayed for it in Ephesians 3:18. And Christ, Himself exemplified this model by using parables "relevant" to the people who listened to his teaching. Relevance is merely the modern day version of apologetics!
3. Ty concludes his blog entry by saying; "I hope that I am wrong. I so do. But this sounds like another attempt at a 'Seeker Sensitive' man-centered Gospel." Ty... if you are reading this, please know... we ARE sensitive to seekers and the only thing man-centered about our gospel is that Jesus Christ became one to save all!
To read Ty's blog, click here.
3 comments:
Ryan, thank you for your comments. I truely do appreciate your time. God bless!
Ty
"unless we can explain the gospel to them in a way they understand and in concert with the Holy Spirit, they will not see their sinfulness and need for a Savior" - Thank you! You're perspective is refreshing!
-Justina
I agree with most of your response, though I am very sympathetic to Ty's point of view. The overwhelming feeling that I got from the three videos on the IfYouHateChurch web site was that church wasn't meeting their needs; the focus was entirely on them. Though this doesn't seem to be the Net's point of view, I wonder how visitors to this site might react. This might reaffirm their feelings that church is a service to them and just another facet to our Southern cultural community, and now there's an opportunity to be a part of that cultural facet in a new, sleek, easy way. There's a fine line there. While we should be very loving and receptive to "seekers" it is important that our churches don't become solely seeker churches, or you are stuck with a group of people subsisting on spiritual baby food who never grow strong willed enough to get into some uncomfortable growing.
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