Churches are no longer relevant in culture, and in fact are ridiculed. Christians are considered immoral and evil if they take a stand against the flow of prevailing trends and ideas.
relevant | ˈreləvənt | adjective
1] closely connected or appropriate to what is being done or considered;
2] appropriate to the current time, period, or circumstances; of contemporary interest.
You might be shocked to hear me say that Christians aren’t relevant.
But it’s actually quite appropriate to say, because we’re not relevant. We’re not only being ignored, we’re being denied access to the conversation.
Why are people rejecting the church instead of running to it?
Our culture has sidelined institutional churches and ridiculed the idea of faith. The rising acceptance of CRT, gender identity, socialism, and nihilism, has pushed traditional Christian beliefs and church culture to the back burner and, in fact, has shoved them entirely off the stove.
The culture’s not at fault.
This is not necessarily culture’s fault. The institutional church itself hasn’t stepped up to the plate and engaged with culture, politics, education, or business.
It’s considered impolite to talk about politics and government in our small groups. Pastors preach a pseudo self-improvement and how to become a better follower of Christ, while ignoring loss of freedom to worship, slaughtering of the innocents in the form of abortion and infanticide, and confusion about what it means to be human in the first place.
We bicker among ourselves. I follow a Christian journalist on Twitter who’s apparently made it her life mission to seek out and report on every sin committed by evangelical and charismatic pastors.
If we are not allowed to critique then we are not allowed to correct.
Recently a coalition of Protestant pastors banded together to promote Easter (Resurrection Sunday) services throughout the community, but specifically excluded one congregation in the community because of its stance that churches are essential and its refusal to close during the government-imposed lockdowns.
You might be reading this and thinking well, aren’t you doing the same thing as those pastors by criticizing institutional churches? Are you a hypocrite? Aren’t you judging others when Jesus tells us not to judge?
My question back to you then is, am I criticizing or critiquing? Is there a difference? If so, what is it?
criticism | ˈkridəˌsizəm | noun
1] the expression of disapproval of someone or something based on perceived faults or mistakes;
critique | kriˈtēk | noun
a detailed analysis and assessment of something, especially a literary, philosophical, or political theory.
If I’m critiquing, then my perception is based on direct observation of the institutional church both Catholic and Protestant. It’s based on study and analysis, and comparison with the teachings of Jesus Christ and the whole body of scripture.
If we are not allowed to critique then we are not allowed to correct.
Why it’s the church’s fault.
In speaking of the church I’m referring to the institutional church. The institutional church functions as an institution, with traditions, doctrines, programs, rituals, rules, modes of dress, and other ups and extras.
As a whole the institutional church has retreated into a self-improvement, personal faith focus while all around in the marketplace, in schools, in entertainment, the very antithesis of kingdom principles is the dominant influencer of thinking and behavior.
Rather than advancing into and engaging all sectors of culture, the institutional church continues to watch from the sidelines or under cover, criticizing, complaining, but not stepping out with the better option.
How does the church become an influencer?
Pastors should teach us what the ekklesia is, and what our authority is in being salt and light. They should promote our engagement in culture and involvement in education, government, media, journalism, business. They should equip us with information and knowledge, and train us HOW to address objections, and speak life-giving absolute truth to the powers and principalities.
Since most pastors and church leaders aren’t stepping up, God’s blood-bought, true believers are waking up on their own, banding together in mutual support, and moving forward into the culture wars.
We’re already seeing the effects of this movement as lies and misinformation are exposed, executives are fired, platforms are created and others acquired. It’s a long-haul battle
ekklesia | ek-klay-see’-ah | noun
An assembly of citizens called out; the legislative assembly.
People called out from the world and to God.
An assembly of the people convened at the public place of the council for the purpose of deliberating.
If the institution can’t do it, the individual can do it.
The meaning of ekklesia to the Greeks and to the Jews of Jesus’ day meant a marketplace operation. It was secular in nature and meaning.The ekklesia is meant to function as a governing authority in culture.
The ekklesia is people — individuals — not building, programs, or rituals. The ekklesia is the Body of Christ at work in the marketplace, occupying, doing business, engaging people in an attractive, winsome manner, influencing and stand for truth, until he returns. can
Matthew 16:13–20
Luke 19:11–27