Our greatest battles are not against culture per se

"Our greatest battles are not against culture per se, but rather against the demonic abhorrence of the humiliation and weakness of God." is quote from today's Memorial Moment by Dr. Scott Murray.

He goes on to say:

"Sometimes the gurus of "church growth" encourage the church to get rid of her culturally objectionable practices as she goes about her business of proclaiming the Lord's Word in the world. The theory is that if we could just remove the stumbling blocks that keep people from joining the church they will come to faith in Christ more easily: "If we could just get rid of chanting in the church, more people would be attracted to join it." You could replace the word "chanting" with a thousand other examples, but the significance would be the same. This is something like suggesting that lipstick applied to a pig would make her more beautiful. The big deal issue of the cross still looms over the church, overshadowing every other "objectionable" thing the church says and does. "So you don't like chanting, because it sounds 'weird.' If you want weird; how about the fact that the church worships a dead guy as very God and Savior and the only way to heaven, who was crucified by the Romans a couple millennia ago and claims to have risen from the dead?" How do you put lipstick on that?"

Dr. Murray insights are always worthwhile and well done. Read his entire devotion here.

The challenge of Cross and culture are always before us. The danger on one hand is to capitulate and on the other is to stubbornly refuse to recognize that the Vulgate is no longer the language of the people. Luther was able to navigate this Scylla and Charybdis well. He held firm to Scripture but made God speak German like a native in his translation of the Bible.

How do we model reverence in a culture that deifies the casual?

How do we preach the cross to a success driven Christian mindset?

How do we raise the level of worship beyond "giving it a 78 because it has a beat and you can dance to it"?

Consumerism Christianity is the mega church game and it works. It is justified under the guise of being missional. Pragmatism seems to be the "...ism" that challenges our people.

The promises of God in Christ through the cross are never in vogue. Yet we seek to make God speak clearly in the language of the people.

May the Holy Spirit give us such wisdom, patience, and trust that we do not weary in proclaiming Christ and Him crucified.