The Mediocre News (The Mediospell)
- by Michelle Gee
-
in Gospel
I hope you all know how much I love Element and our Sunday gatherings, but occasionally, one of my favorite things to do is attend another church’s service. It’s always a tangible reminder of how diverse the Church is, and how beautiful it can be to see traditions expressed in such different ways.
Before I go on any further, I want to clarify that is blog post is NOT an indictment of another particular congregation I recently visited. There is so much division within the Church, and the last thing I want to do is throw stones at a body of believers—especially since my perceptions are based off only a single service I attended. However, I do think it is important for believers to critically engage any local church they attend, and to continually discern the truth in what we hear. If anything, this post is an assertion of the Gospel, and a reminder of why it is so important to preach Christ crucified in all that we do.
The church my husband Jon and I visited is geared toward the recovery community. It was a wonderful sight to behold how well they have managed to reach that specific subculture. In many ways, I saw elements of a good missional strategy—understanding the needs of the community, adopting the language of that subculture, etc. We were met by a warm and vibrant group of people, and were quickly welcomed in.
Throughout the service, however, I felt increasingly uneasy at what I was hearing. The lyrical content of the songs we sang together, while uplifting, was vague in their focus of worship. Communion was likened to having “the best conversation you can remember, where you felt completely safe and heard.” The message mainly consisted of the pastor’s argument that theology is not so important as much as practice, and that we all must develop our own personal theology.
Now, I do believe there is some truth to what the pastor said. In communion, we are reminded of the safe, intimate access we have to God, where we are fully known and heard. When it comes to theology, it is true that little will be transformative if it hasn’t taken root in our hearts and actions. However, what left the message feeling so hollow to me was the omission of what all these truths hinge on: the Gospel.
The Gospel is the good news that Jesus has defeated Satan, sin, and death, and is making all things new—even us! This good news, or story, is rooted in the actual historical event of Jesus’ death and resurrection—a singular event we can point to as proof of Christ’s work, and the ultimate expression of His love for us. I’m saddened to say that none of this was mentioned throughout the service we attended. It is because of Christ’s victory over sin that we can feel safe and heard. Jesus tells us that in communion, his blood is “of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28). While we may often hear of “God’s love,” we can know as believers His love is not some vague feeling, but demonstrated through an action that has already occurred. We can be absolutely assured of His commitment to us, because the Cross happened.
Regarding theology, while it is Jesus and not theology that saves us, it is important to understand the practical role of theology in our lives. As one of my professors used to say, “Right theology leads to right worship.” As we continually grapple with the ideas of who God is, we gain clarity, and can more accurately convey who He is to others. While I did agree with this pastor that Judaism is a religion that focuses more on orthopraxy (“right practice”) rather than orthodoxy (“right belief”), it’s a stretch to say Jesus didn’t emphasize theology. We are studying right now in our current sermon series at Element, Jesus consistently asserts His authority as the Messiah. Jesus claims that He alone is God and able to forgive sins. He makes controversial, exclusive statements about exactly who He is—separating the truth from lies.
In a way, I’m thankful for the experience of visiting this church, because it reminded me of how powerful the Gospel message is. Likewise, I was reminded of how mediocre our “good news” can sound when we fail to tell the whole story of Christ’s redemption. As Romans 1:16 says, “…I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…” As we near Resurrection Sunday, let’s remember that every good thing we are free to experience in Christ hinges on the Cross, and as Paul said, “preach Christ crucified” (1 Corinthians 1:23).
Before I go on any further, I want to clarify that is blog post is NOT an indictment of another particular congregation I recently visited. There is so much division within the Church, and the last thing I want to do is throw stones at a body of believers—especially since my perceptions are based off only a single service I attended. However, I do think it is important for believers to critically engage any local church they attend, and to continually discern the truth in what we hear. If anything, this post is an assertion of the Gospel, and a reminder of why it is so important to preach Christ crucified in all that we do.
The church my husband Jon and I visited is geared toward the recovery community. It was a wonderful sight to behold how well they have managed to reach that specific subculture. In many ways, I saw elements of a good missional strategy—understanding the needs of the community, adopting the language of that subculture, etc. We were met by a warm and vibrant group of people, and were quickly welcomed in.
Throughout the service, however, I felt increasingly uneasy at what I was hearing. The lyrical content of the songs we sang together, while uplifting, was vague in their focus of worship. Communion was likened to having “the best conversation you can remember, where you felt completely safe and heard.” The message mainly consisted of the pastor’s argument that theology is not so important as much as practice, and that we all must develop our own personal theology.
Now, I do believe there is some truth to what the pastor said. In communion, we are reminded of the safe, intimate access we have to God, where we are fully known and heard. When it comes to theology, it is true that little will be transformative if it hasn’t taken root in our hearts and actions. However, what left the message feeling so hollow to me was the omission of what all these truths hinge on: the Gospel.
The Gospel is the good news that Jesus has defeated Satan, sin, and death, and is making all things new—even us! This good news, or story, is rooted in the actual historical event of Jesus’ death and resurrection—a singular event we can point to as proof of Christ’s work, and the ultimate expression of His love for us. I’m saddened to say that none of this was mentioned throughout the service we attended. It is because of Christ’s victory over sin that we can feel safe and heard. Jesus tells us that in communion, his blood is “of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28). While we may often hear of “God’s love,” we can know as believers His love is not some vague feeling, but demonstrated through an action that has already occurred. We can be absolutely assured of His commitment to us, because the Cross happened.
Regarding theology, while it is Jesus and not theology that saves us, it is important to understand the practical role of theology in our lives. As one of my professors used to say, “Right theology leads to right worship.” As we continually grapple with the ideas of who God is, we gain clarity, and can more accurately convey who He is to others. While I did agree with this pastor that Judaism is a religion that focuses more on orthopraxy (“right practice”) rather than orthodoxy (“right belief”), it’s a stretch to say Jesus didn’t emphasize theology. We are studying right now in our current sermon series at Element, Jesus consistently asserts His authority as the Messiah. Jesus claims that He alone is God and able to forgive sins. He makes controversial, exclusive statements about exactly who He is—separating the truth from lies.
In a way, I’m thankful for the experience of visiting this church, because it reminded me of how powerful the Gospel message is. Likewise, I was reminded of how mediocre our “good news” can sound when we fail to tell the whole story of Christ’s redemption. As Romans 1:16 says, “…I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…” As we near Resurrection Sunday, let’s remember that every good thing we are free to experience in Christ hinges on the Cross, and as Paul said, “preach Christ crucified” (1 Corinthians 1:23).
