I see articles or clips from time to time, detailing the practices of the “contemporary churches.” When photographs or video segments are included, the auditoriums are nearly always dark places. The ceilings are painted black, the walls darkened, and clusters of “stage lights” provide what lighting there is. The area of the congregation is darkened and the “performers” on “stage” are highlighted with the special effects lighting.
Prominent on “stage” is the drum set, some Marshall amps, Fender electric guitars, and the “praise band.” Then finally, after 30 or 40 minutes of “chicka-chicka-boom-boom” the “band” heads off stage to get their lattes, and the “minister” steps up. He seems a little too old for those tight designer jeans he’s got on. Maybe his shirts are all in the dirty clothes hamper, because all he’s wearing is a tee shirt. Cool. Sitting on his stool there he doesn’t preach, but rather, he “shares.” Hmmm…
When churches start down the road of trying to be like the culture, they not only do a poor job of it, they render themselves irrelevant. The people out here in our culture don’t need the same thing on Sunday that they can get all week long from the world! They need something that looks and sounds and acts differently from the popular culture. May God help us to see churches and Christians raised up with a greater desire to be like the everlasting Lord than like the passing present culture.