If a church does not regularly examine its culture, it ends up as a culture unto itself. Soon the church is filled with people who pray in King James English, call the pastor “brother” to show respect, and forbid women from wearing pants to church. They are still relating to cultural issues that were relevant one hundred years before. However, that culture and those issues have long since disappeared – everywhere, that is, except within the church. Instead, the church needs to regularly ask, “Are we faithfully proclaiming the faith in the place in which we find ourselves today?” A church will be completely faithful only when it is faithful to its God, its Scripture, and its mission to the world.
Ed Stetzer & David Putman, Breaking the Missional Code, p. 28
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Daniel Haynes
Reply
J. Randal Matheny 8:26 pm on June 22, 2010 Permalink |
This is a great challenge to our people and we don’t always deal well with it.
Richard Hill 9:35 pm on June 22, 2010 Permalink |
Daniel, I think in our minds we generally understand what is expedient, what is cultural, and what is doctrinal, but on a practical level we have trouble making the distinctions.
As time moves on what was once expedient and cultural for the time, no longer is. Often our emotional ties to the past blur the lines.
Decisions continue or forego practices should be based on Scripture, not emotion.
Thanks for sharing the quote.
Daniel Haynes 9:20 am on June 23, 2010 Permalink |
Amen, brothers!