I received my newest issue of Relevant magazine last week, and there were several articles I wanted to post about. Here’s a couple to start with.
Jesusland
First is an interview with Ben Folds, whose song “Jesusland” gets a fair amount of attention in the article. (Lyrics to “Jesusland” can be found here, song can be heard here.) Here are a few quotes:
One of the most noteworthy songs on the album, “Jesusland,” finds Folds touring through middle America, appalled by the amassing of wealth and the use of Jesus’ name to push consumerism.
Folds believes that if Jesus walked through America today, He would likely be shunned by many of the people who preach his name.
“It does no good for the teachings of a great man to put it across billboards and political campaigns,” Folds says. He believes that the use of Jesus as a brand to sell products and promote patriotism works at cross purposes with Jesus’ message.
I’ve written about the Christian subculture and “Jesus Junk” before, but that middle paragraph reminded me of a line from Todd Agnew’s song “My Jesus”, where he sings that “My Jesus would never be accepted in my church, the blood and dirt on His feet might stain the carpet.” I struggle with this because it is likely very true, and so many of “the least of these” would probably not feel very welcome in the majority of metro churches like the ones I’ve attended during my adult life.
The comment on “promoting patriotism” also came at an interesting time. I saw bumper sticker on a co-worker’s car the day I read this article, which featured “Uncle Sam” kneeling before a red, white and blue cross. (I searched for an image of it online, but have yet to find it.) I just shook my head as I passed by it on the way out. Later, when I read the article, the sticker immediately came to mind.
Too often, Folds’ description of this “Jesusland” seems eerily familiar.
Seven big questions
In the article titled “Seven Big Questions”, they ask seven well-known Christian leaders various questions about where the church is, is going, and challenges it will face in the future. Here are a few quotes that stood out to me.
In response to the question, “What trends in church and worship styles do you see? Are they positive or negative?”
What do you mean by worship styles? Why do we still equate singing and even what we are doing on Sunday with the whole of worship? There is something powerful about singing to God as an act of worship, but it is time to reframe our perspective and our language to genuinely encompass all of life as worship. (Erwin McManus, Mosaic Church, Los Angeles)
In response to the question, “What positive tendency do you see in this generation?”
I see a resurging interest in culture and viewing the U.S. as a mission field, which are very encouraging trends and desperately needed. (Mark Driscoll, Mars Hill Church, Seattle)
I think we are all trying to figure out what it means to be the Church as opposed to just doing church. (McManus)
In response to the question, “What do you see as the greatest challenge for young Christians in the next 10 years?”
The unbelievable amassing of wealth and consumer goods that we have at our fingertips in American culture. Our greatest challenge will be to learn how to move this into blessings for others, or we will continue to be more selfish and indifferent to the cries of the world. These insane amounts of goods that are at our service are not doing good things to our souls. (Rob Bell, Mars Hill Bible Church, Grand Rapids, MI)
I suspect the next 10 years will be years of turmoil and hardship the globe over, and with that will come a surge in a certain kind of American patriotism. Therefore, Americans will be challenged to remember where their true fealty lies. I’m not saying there’s no place for patriotism. But Christians are people whose first allegiance cannot be to a nation-state, not to any nation-state. Increased geopolitical tension may tempt us to forget that. (Lauren Winner, Author)
In response to the question, “How should Christians be involved in the political system?”
At our church we bring out the fact that the Gospel is obviously political, yet we are aggressively nonpartisan. We are interested in being a voice for those who have no voice. Too often the party line becomes, ‘If you’re a Christian, then of course you’re voting like us,’ and that’s crazy. As the people of God, our postures should be aggressively nonpartisan and always veering toward the oppressed and the marginalized and those who have no voice, as opposed to the endless self-preservation and protection. (Bell)
We should be involved in politics in the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He never sold out to the Democrats and Republicans. He ticked them both off as he served as a prophetic voice. We must speak the truth to power and advocate for the poor, the outcast, the sick and the unborn. The Church ought to be transforming government, not the other way around. I’m concerned as an evangelical that my church has traded in being prophetic for power and privilege. (Efrem Smith, Sanctuary Covenant Church, Minneapolis)
In response to the question, “How can a Christian fulfill a passion for social justice as a middle-class American?”
The Bible teaches that pursuing social justice isn’t an option for a follower of Jesus. We must care about what God cares about most - and that is bringing lost souls home to Him. But our ministry is to the whole person, not just his spiritual emptiness. Clearly, God cares about His creations - the billions of people He’s placed on this planet who know suffer at the hands of injustice, not only spiritual emptiness, but also egocentric leadership, poverty, disease and inadequate education. … You don’t have to travel far from a middle-class neighborhood to find and fight social injustice.” (Rick Warren, Saddleback Community Church, Lake Forest, CA)
Jesus loves Osama
This is not from Relevant, but elsewhere. And, I’m late with this, since many have already posted on it. Nevertheless, here’s an article about an Australian church posting a sign that reads “Jesus Loves Osama.” Here’s a few posts from blogs I read that mentioned the story:
There’s been a fair amount of reaction to it, mostly negative, it seems. The concern of many seems to be that it may be seen as a statement of approval, i.e. Jesus approves of Osama’s behavior. I didn’t read it that way when I first saw it, and actually wouldn’t think to read it that way, but I see the point. Still, with the verse attached, I think the meaning is clear. And, of course, accurate.
That’s all for now. I may post about a couple of the other Relevant articles later. And, of course, with this week being “rivalry week” and tomorrow being the marquee game - Duke-Carolina - I’ll be posting a lengthy college basketball post tomorrow.