relevance, prophecy, and a gospel explanation

I recently reread an article by Jedd Medefind which I had studied for my Contemporary Theological Issues course last semester. 

In short, the author argues that the world does not need the Church and Christians' relevance. 

Our consumerist society is obsessed with being relevant. Relevance is at the very core of marketing strategy, entertainment, teaching, awareness spreading and probably every other career path. Why would we expect anything different from the Church and Christian ministry? 

We are socialized to be image-focused, and relevance becomes a primarily cosmetic goal to attract others or gain social standing. The last thing we'd want is to be viewed as passé (or, as Fergie so eloquently put it, "so 2000-and late"). 

Based on its definition "pertaining to the matter at hand", relevance is about fitting into what is currently valued, enjoyed and admired. 

I found this paragraph to be particularly compelling: 

[...] relevance carries no requirement that one be just, true, or good- only well-versed in what others have decided matters. The relevant person is simply the one skilled at echoing back to society the things it most values. 

So, we see a shift in evangelical churches. This shift is motivated by the "cool factor", and coined by many the "Hillsong effect". Just as a disclaimer, I must admit I do like a great Hillsong tune (and my goal is not to discredit this ministry) but I think it's important to recognize the downfalls of the pursuit of relevance in Christian ministry and life.

What comes to mind:

- Valuing the spectacle and "show effect" over communal living (worship leaders being the superstars of the church). 

- The sanctuary becoming a concert hall. 

- The commitment to excellence being emphasized over the commitment to truth. 

- The watering down of the gospel, leading to "moralistic therapeutic deism", which Brett McCracken explains is: "a faith defined by a distant, cosmic ATM God who only cares that we are nice to one another and feel good about ourselves."

- Spiritual integrity being set aside, and biblical truths being delegitimized by Christians themselves. 

- Focusing on attracting people to our churches with our appearance (branding, music style, flashiness) rather than our counter-cultural ways of enacting the upside-down economy of God (by serving the least of these, showing grace in times of struggle, and the list goes on). 

Credit: Christian mail

Medefind writes: This is when the danger grows severe. Love of relevance can blind us to things we ought to critique and numb us to things from which we ought to recoil. 

If relevance is just about mirroring society and its mores and values, then the "relevant" Church won't be offering society something new, redemptive and life-giving. Yet the message of Christianity is all of these things. 

Medefind argues that, instead of being relevant, the Church needs to be prophetic: 

Prophets receive insight from beyond the echo chamber of their own culture, and then stand willing to share that truth regardless of consequence [...] Its objective is not to appear aligned with cultural trends, but to live and speak with integrity to standards that transcend its culture, even if that means loss of perceived relevance. Because it is not intent on mirroring the things society most values, a prophetic voice can offer the things society most lacks. 

The people of God have only ever had a significant impact, "blazing to God's glory," when they took on a prophetic role rather than a simply relevant one. 

Constantine I? Julian of Norwich? Joan of Arc? Luther? Wilberforce? Bonhoeffer? ..... JESUS? 

They weren't exactly focused on popularity. Not relevance, but prophetic action. 

The name of Jesus is, ultimately, the most important matter at hand. It transcends what any society and culture considers "relevant" and offers life- the abundant kind. 

By reflecting His Name in our churches and our lives as Christians, we will strengthen our witness.  We might not gain popularity or be viewed as relevant, but the way we counter-culturally approach people, time, money, priorities, politics, nature, health (and the list goes on and on) will demand a gospel explanation. 

Join me in asking yourself today: Am I living a life which demands a gospel explanation? Am I, and is my church, intentionally seeking to live prophetically, reflecting His Name rather than the values and ways of the world? 

Relevance, after all, is fleeting. What is relevant today may not be tomorrow. And it certainly won't be in two years, let alone twenty. The name of Christ Jesus, albeit counter-cultural and unconcerned with being unoffensive or pleasing to all, doesn't lose its power, vitality and shalom. 

And, as Medefind explains, this is the beautiful paradox: "the prophetic voice is the only one that was truly relevant after all."