If there is anything that should not be relevant to pop culture, it is worship. Worship is all about God. And yet, in evangelicalism and in a growing way in fundamentalism, it has become important for the "worship" to be relevant to pop culture. I recently got a form letter from John MacArthur with some good words:Our eyes aren't on the fashions and fads of the day and we're not interested in sacrificing long-term spiritual impact for immediate pop-culture relevancy.
I think that John MacArthur thinks that. He hasn't stopped fashions, fads, and immediate pop-culture relevancy from moving into and all over his own church. Recently at the Pyromaniac blog, Phil Johnson, of MacArthur's church, advertised a conference of which he would participate. I clicked on the youtube promotion for the meeting. It's called the Psalm 119 Discernment Conference.
To start, the ad itself has the fashionable, faddish, and immediate pop-culture relevancy, promoting the meeting about Psalm 119 with the rock music and the crumbling urban infrastructure, trendy and gritty, not separating itself from what is sensual and worldly, not differentiating itself from pop culture. You tell me. For "worship," they're having "Go Fish."
I looked up Go Fish to find out what their "worship" was. You tell me what you think of their worship: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wkc9-SvqfDM . I'm not going to give any evaluation other than this is mutually exclusive from worship. This is immediate pop-culture relevancy. This is what the conference attendees have leading their worship and this is where "worship" is today with the conservative evangelicals. The picture here is the "Go Fish" promo for their "worship" that they took in their "shoot." Discernment conference? They aren't encouraging it in worship, so what else could we hope for? Your thoughts. Please.
This is something I struggle with understanding. What is with the Churches rush towards relevance? What is it worth in the end?
ReplyDeleteThis doesn't surprise me. McArthur writes many good books and yet doesn't follow whats written therein.
For example MacArthur's book exposing the charismatic movement. Then he goes and fellowships with known charismatic Maheney?
Respectfully Submitted
Br Steve
Gal. 2.20
First, two passages come to mind...
ReplyDelete"There is a sound of war in the camp..." Ex. 32:17-18 and 2 Peter 2:1-3.
Second, that host said: "not only are the wolves at the door, they're inside the church..." He said it right. The irony is "sheep" in "wolves" clothing. "Pop-worship" isn't.
The classic and contradictory statement "anchored to the rock but geared toward the times" may be said of MacArthur - as I said, it is contradictory, for the Rock changes not, and if one is anchored to Him, he changes not.
ReplyDeleteLike, yuh dude, Paul, like, totally tried to be relevant, yuh know?
ReplyDeleteThe Fish video is embarrassing. Christians make themselves look so stupid trying to be relevant.
ReplyDeleteFor Phil Johnson to speak at this thing, he takes his cues from MacArthur who will speak just about anywhere if he thinks it will be an opportunity to promote whatever he's trying to promote.
I couldn't do it.