The Church and Culture: Who’s Leading Who?

The 21^st century finds the western church attempting to redefine itself (again). We have witnessed immeasurable change in our world in last two centuries, and the church right along with it. All one has to do is search the Internet for words like ‘Emerging Church,’ ‘worship wars,’ and ‘gay marriage’ or visit web sites like Christianity Today and Lifeway (just to name a few) to see the myriad challenges facing the church.

For instance, Lifeway surveyed “more than 1,300 ministry leaders from Europe, North America and elsewhere” and identified the 10 top issues facing today’s church (items include sexuality, marriage, leadership, prayer, etc.). These issues are generally focused on areas with which the local church or denomination must respond and act (I define a denomination as a confederation of local churches with a variety of organizational structures, authority, and functions).

Christianity Today seems to address even broader, cultural and inter-denominational topics (e.g. Roman Catholic-Evangelical dialogue, inter-faith ecumenicalism, popular culture and ‘culture wars’, ‘worship wars’, globalization, etc.). These issues seem to face the larger, universal church throughout the world (the universal church defined as the spiritual church that includes all true believers throughout the world).

Within this very limited examination (there are many more websites, books, and periodicals devoted to the aforementioned topics), the careful observer should recognize how the culture seems to drive the church on many of these issues. This is not a new development. Indeed, any study of church history would reveal the repetition of the culture overtaking the church in virtually every aspect. From almost the earliest days the Christian church has flirted with the world with disastrous results. However, with the increasing pace of change in our world the church is struggling to respond and the affects of culture are more pronounced.

Enter the so-called Emerging Church discussion (devotees resist calling it a ‘movement’). Today there is growing dialogue resulting from the dissatisfaction of the younger western generations (‘Gen X’ and ‘Millennial’). The dissatisfaction targets the model of church inherited from the previous generation. Scott Bader-Saye claims “the professed goal of many in the “Emerging Church” is to embody an alternative to the model of the Willow Creek, seeker-driven church that blankets the contemporary evangelical landscape like kudzu on a southern hillside” (The Emergent matrix: A new kind of church? http://www.christiancentury.org/feat_article.html?articleid=1).

This alternative model reflects the bold, brash, techno-savvy, postmodern culture of the 21^st century. The desire seems to be centered on finding a fresh, new way to be the church for a postmodern world. While I am sympathetic to the problems and failures of the church (both local and universal), I do not believe this discussion and new model will bring about spiritual renewal. Moreover, I submit that it is really the same OLD idea of culture driving the church.

Just how old is this problem, and what might be the solution? Luke 10:25-37 may offer a clue. It is the familiar story of the ‘Good Samaritan’. An expert in the Law of Moses tested Jesus by asking: "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" ²⁶ "What is written in the law?" He asked him. "How do you read it?" ²⁷ He answered: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself. ²⁸ "You've answered correctly," He told him. "Do this and you will live."

Jesus knew this man’s real intention. This expert was a lawyer hoping to trap Jesus by his argument. The lawyer responded "And who is my neighbor?"

³⁰ Jesus took up the question and said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him up, and fled, leaving him half dead. ³¹ A priest happened to be going down that road. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. ³² In the same way, a Levite, when he arrived at the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan, while traveling, came up to him; and when he saw the man, he had compassion. ³⁴ He went over to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, 'Take care of him; and when I come back I'll reimburse you for whatever extra you spend.' ³⁶ "Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?" ³⁷ "The one who showed mercy to him," he said. Then Jesus told him, "Go and do the same." (Luke 30-37 Holman Christian Standard Bible)

Jesus’ parable refutes the lawyer and it underscores verse 27 by showing how we are to demonstrate our love to God and our neighbor. The normal interpretation rightly highlights the historical enmity between Samaritans and Jews, showing the Samaritan to be a man of compassion and mercy while overcoming the shame of being a despised foreigner. Additionally, that loving mercy is contrasted against the deplorable, self-righteous attitude of the “professional” religious men who disregarded the desperate man. Thus, the Samaritan illustrated how one is to love God and man, the epitome of God’s law of life.

It is within the two paradigms of personal behaviors shown in this parable that one can observe the failure of the church, both historically and today, and at the same time see the simple solution offered by Jesus himself: love God with everything you have, and risk everything you have for each other.

Matthew 22:34-40 supports this by declaring that our total love towards God and our neighbor supports all other religious activity. If we truly love God and people, we will set aside our pride, endure shame, and find common ground between all who are in Christ. If we do this the church will take its proper place as leading the culture back to God instead of the culture leading the church astray. “And they’ll know we are Christians by our love…”