Creative Scribble

22 years ago my mom started going to an awesome, new church in Raleigh. It started in a hotel and then moved to a renovated horse barn. The atmosphere was casual and the music was loud - guitars, drums, and just a couple of singers. No choir? Woah! Hymn books and pews were absent, too. The words were on a screen, albeit the handy dandy transparency projector. There was no Sunday School and no services on Sunday nights so people could go to small groups that met in homes.

This church was cutting edge. Contemporary music, small groups, casual atmosphere. Sound familiar?

But did you catch those first three words - “22 years ago.” Granted, I do believe this church was a little ahead of its time in a rather progressive city considering the South. But that was nearly an entire generation ago. Thousands of churches just like it have sprung up since then. They used to be culture-engaging and cutting edge. But are they still?

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I’ve been wrestling with this very issue: what is culture-engaging now? Tony Morgan, a blogger I follow, gave his thoughts here and he puts into words much of what I’ve wrestled with. Read that post and the one he links to called “The New Traditional Church.” I don’t necessarily agree completely, but the questions raised are great.

What is the music we can use to worship while reaching a new generation? How do we fulfill James 1:27 which tells us that true religion is taking care of the lowest in society? How do we match Jesus’ example of not just doing but also preaching and not just preaching but also doing?

Culture changes and the Church must be ready to change with it to truly be able to reach new generations. Here are the questions I've been asking. Have we truly changed or have we let what was once fresh become the new traditional? If not, what have we changed with culture? What are we doing to really reach today’s generations? Have we gotten comfortable? Or is the big-city model of 20 years ago still fresh in some of our smaller communities?

Those are the questions I'm asking my Father. I would love your feedback too.