Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Not So Funny On Second Glance
There was a time in my youth when I would see stuff like "The Holy Ghost Hokey Pokey" as posted at MMI and laugh. I found it so ridiculous that I figured no one could truly take it seriously. But with the experience of years, I have found there is always someone that takes something like that seriously, and I have to ask what damage is done?
There is really two levels on which to consider that question. The first is the stuff we do to appear "attractive." When I was doing Young Life work years ago, we worked so hard to be relevant and attractive. - and we succeeded. Problem was, in so doing we offered a form of "Christianity Lite," - a first step, but hardly the journey. But so many people have never gone past the first step that I sometimes weep. That first step is so attractive that entire churches now look like what we used to do as evangelism. But at least some people have sought to move forward.
But the "HGHP" is damaging on a different level. It seeks to reduce genuine worship to mere silliness. It seeks to trivialize real discipleship. And so many buy into it.
Nah, it's not funny.
There is really two levels on which to consider that question. The first is the stuff we do to appear "attractive." When I was doing Young Life work years ago, we worked so hard to be relevant and attractive. - and we succeeded. Problem was, in so doing we offered a form of "Christianity Lite," - a first step, but hardly the journey. But so many people have never gone past the first step that I sometimes weep. That first step is so attractive that entire churches now look like what we used to do as evangelism. But at least some people have sought to move forward.
But the "HGHP" is damaging on a different level. It seeks to reduce genuine worship to mere silliness. It seeks to trivialize real discipleship. And so many buy into it.
Nah, it's not funny.
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