Church and Culture-Essay 3

Is Culture Dead?

A question was printed on the cover of Time Magazine on April 8, 1966 that read, “Is God dead?” Time Magazine did a cover story on “The ‘God is Dead’ Movement.” Their spokesperson said, “God has died in our time, in our history, in our existence.” Certainly, God did not die, but over the last forty years many have tried to remove any evidence of His existence. Evolution has replaced the Biblical position of creation, prayer has been removed from public schools, and “Jesus” has become a politically incorrect word in the American vocabulary. Instead of playing offense, evangelicals have taken a defensive position. We are better known for what we are against, then what we are for. We built our own schools, opened up seminaries and started our own publishing houses and magazines. Each institution established put a nail in God’s cultural coffin. Instead of serving our culture, we institutionalized God and built a structure around serving ourselves. Although God is alive and well in many evangelical churches across America today, He is dead to the main stream culture.
Playing Defense!
The main stream culture has been abandoned by a Church that has turned selfishly inward. In order for the church to move the dial to a culturally renewing station, before we reach out, we must look for renewal within. There might not be any culturally renewal companies trading on the New York Stock Exchange floor, but God is in the renewal business and in God’s economy no institution or person is ever beyond hope of renewal. Jonathon Edwards, one of the greatest theologians in American history discovered that institutional renewal has three ingredients: repentance, faithful study and obedience to the Bible, and believing prayer. If evangelicals dedicate themselves to these very things no matter how long it takes, the soil for a second resurrection of God will be fertile. If the evangelical church turns inward to find renewal, then they will be ready to reach out to a culture that God is dead too.
Taking the Offense!
In a time when the culture was centered on God, Jesus launched a ministry that was destined to change the course of history, so His confused disciples asked, “Who is the greatest among us?” His disciples were focused on external fame and neglected the cultural dynamics of this new up and coming Kingdom. Jesus’ plan to change the world did not include incorporating and insuring his original staff, the twelve disciples. He settled their anxieties that day by assuming the position of a slave. The CEO and founder of this new kingdom culture instituted a washing feet, company policy. His strategy was simple: ALWAYS LOOK TO SERVE, NOT TO BE SERVED. Jesus’ plan to integrate and transform the existing culture, began with a speech He gave on His knees. If on His knees Jesus could gain the support of His twelve unfaithful disciples who led an international movement that transformed history, it is a great place to start for evangelicals today. Instead of fighting for positions or blaming this person or that institution, each person in the evangelical church must get down on their knees and wash the feet of whomever, whenever, and however. It does not matter, if the person whose feet you wash happens to be a democrat, atheist and homosexual. Always look to serve, not to be served!