03.11.10
Subcultures... The Church Must Escape Her Own
If the church wants to change the culture she must first escape her own subculture.
We live in a culture of subcultures. Each subculture is known for what she believes and doesn’t believe, do and doesn’t do, and the attitudes that those who make up a particular subgroup exhibit. If those of us who are the church are going to influence our unbelieving friends in other subcultures we may want to consider some of the ideas below.:
- Set aside the monologue and join in the dialogue. Too often we church types spout off information (without taking a breath) to people who simply want to engage in conversation with us (maybe our alter-ego wants to be a preacher). Listen more than you talk.
- Have an opinion. The unbelieving community sees us as overzealous regurgitaters restating what church leaders have been telling us. We are seen as non-thinkers in a thought-provoked society. Don’t say, “My pastor says,” or “It doesn’t matter because God’s opinion is the only one that counts.” It's okay to have an opinion of your own and sometimes you'll need to mention that you're looking forward to finding out what God tells you about something.
- Stop protecting the institution and start protecting Jesus’ reputation. Too many believers think that, when involved in a conversation about the faith journey, that the vehement unbeliever they are speaking with is attacking that which they love most, their local church. Well-meaning believers push back hard. Instead of protecting the imperfect institution that has proven throughout history that her imperfections can lead to physical and sexual abuse, manipulation of the masses, even war, show Christ’s love and lifestyle by being a gracious servant and friend to those outside the subculture we call church.
- Stop confusing tolerance with acceptance. We cannot accept acts of sin but we can and must embrace pre-Christians even in their sin, Jesus did. Tolerating someone’s lifestyle is not a precursor to accepting the person involved in sinful acts.
- Remember… not yet followers of Christ are not projects they are equal planet dwellers we are building friendships with. No one wants to be someone’s project, especially if the one who is the project builder’s goal is to take them from a lifestyle they are comfortable with and enjoy. Make friends of unbelievers for friendship’s sake and maybe someday your being Christ in her/his presence will allow them to want to know more about Christ. Ask yourself this question… If this person were never to become a Christ-follower would I still want to hang out with them? This is a good guide to whether or not you’ve got a project or a friend.
- Stop projecting moral superiority. Maybe nothing turns an unbeliever away from the faith more than believers who depict themselves as the keeper of right moral standards and everyone else is morally inferior to them. Remember, you have a guide for life, the Bible. It governs right and wrongness for you. The unbeliever does not. Their perspective on what is right and wrong is as right to them as what right and wrong is to you.
- Be you. When unbelievers see no difference in your lifestyle than their own they believe you lack integrity. Influence always accompanies integrity. If you want to influence the unbeliever you’re friends with be a consistent follower of Jesus, even when it’s a bit uncomfortable or embarrassing. Bow your head and pray silently before a meal, don’t use language that contradicts a Jesus-centered lifestyle, tell the friend you’re with that the movie they’re wanting to see is just not your thing, etc… The important thing is that you never demand or expect that they join you in your rituals and decisions. Enjoy them as they are and they will probably accept you and respect you just as you are.
Obviously, this post is focused on what each one of us can do personally, when with the people we know. Here’s why… I think the church has proven that marketing ourselves differently, doing city-wide projects, having prayer vigils for the city and towns we live in, etc… does help the reputation of the church. But if she’s going to be seen as part of the culture rather than a faith-based subculture for a select group of people it’s going to take each of us being real while being Jesus with those who are entrenched in their own subculture.
Great thoughts. Only thing is, if we actually did these things, then our church "industry" would cease to have a reason to exist. Then it would fall apart.
Wait... what?