Relevant, In Our Own Language.
Relevant, In Our Own Language
By Chad Jarnagin
Ahh Christiandom. All things Christian. Christianese. Our own language. Could it be that maybe, when we try to be relevant that's when we become irrelevant? That is my fear for the church (note little"c"), and for me and my friends.
I have heard the word relevant a lot over the past few months. I have written about this topic before. Let's review.
rel?e?vant? [rel-uh-vuhnt]
ÃÂ?adjective
bearing upon or connected with the matter in hand; pertinent: a relevant remark.
For me, I would like to think that I really do just want to have a handle on pop culture, so maybe I can relate to certain people. BUT more than likely I just want to be cool, liked, valued, hip, or even popular. At the core of my being I can only hope that I want to be relevant b/c I want to truly connect with the matter at hand...life. I wonder if Jesus ever sat in a room with his close followers and plotted out how they could be "relevant". I know the church does. I think that the heart is full of good motives, but if we just planned or plotted from living life, and making notes of how certain things make us feel and think, maybe that would be what is really effective. Not that we aren't effective at certain moments, b/c we can be. My concern is if we divert our attention away from real life circumstances, we can and WILL become irrelevant; for example to pretend that everything and everyone is okay is pretending that we aren't in need of a Savior.
We get hung up on issues Jesus never did or would. He was too busy telling stories that connected w/ real people. Stories that would lead to changing their lives. To this day I don't know anyone that doesn't like a good story (book, movie, or song). How simple. Is it still that simple today or do we complicate simple truths like loving each other?
We have an amazing story to tell. Let's just tell it. If we are real, and tell it in love, only then will it be relevant.
By Chad Jarnagin
Ahh Christiandom. All things Christian. Christianese. Our own language. Could it be that maybe, when we try to be relevant that's when we become irrelevant? That is my fear for the church (note little"c"), and for me and my friends.
I have heard the word relevant a lot over the past few months. I have written about this topic before. Let's review.
rel?e?vant? [rel-uh-vuhnt]
ÃÂ?adjective
bearing upon or connected with the matter in hand; pertinent: a relevant remark.
For me, I would like to think that I really do just want to have a handle on pop culture, so maybe I can relate to certain people. BUT more than likely I just want to be cool, liked, valued, hip, or even popular. At the core of my being I can only hope that I want to be relevant b/c I want to truly connect with the matter at hand...life. I wonder if Jesus ever sat in a room with his close followers and plotted out how they could be "relevant". I know the church does. I think that the heart is full of good motives, but if we just planned or plotted from living life, and making notes of how certain things make us feel and think, maybe that would be what is really effective. Not that we aren't effective at certain moments, b/c we can be. My concern is if we divert our attention away from real life circumstances, we can and WILL become irrelevant; for example to pretend that everything and everyone is okay is pretending that we aren't in need of a Savior.
We get hung up on issues Jesus never did or would. He was too busy telling stories that connected w/ real people. Stories that would lead to changing their lives. To this day I don't know anyone that doesn't like a good story (book, movie, or song). How simple. Is it still that simple today or do we complicate simple truths like loving each other?
We have an amazing story to tell. Let's just tell it. If we are real, and tell it in love, only then will it be relevant.
posted by go to www.chadjarnagin.com at 8/30/2006
6 Comments:
I am curious to what you have been reading to pin some of these kinds of thoughts. I think I see what you are saying, and thinking.
AND I LIKE IT ALOT.
Cindy
I don't want to start anything, but I don't follow where you are trying to go here Chad.
I don't see anything wrong with planning out something that those in a service might connect with; be it movies, music, and drama.
The idea of us not knowing how to tell "the story" confuses me. Could Jesus be happy that we are doing somethings differently to reach people? I would hope so.
Sorry for the ramble. Hopefully this starts some dialog that would be good for all of us.
Steve
I personally think that the bottom line idea of church hasn't changed. The idea is to get people into the church so that we can tell them about Jesus, right?
I think that's where we get it wrong.. we are to "Be" the Church. Outside of the walls. Yeah, the videos are neat and the music is rockin, but in reality churches across America are dying. The church is a scary place for most people...
I read something on myspace the other day from some regular ole' dude.... Under the section where it says "Who Would You Like To Meet?", he said, "Jesus, but I hope he's not a d**k like most of his followers". That's pretty blunt, and yeah over the top, but that is the reality of what people think of Christians.
Some how we have to translate all the neat videos and music into real world love and compassion. We have to be the Church outside of the Church to change this world.
Thanks for your thoughts Chad!!!
Steven- Take the thoughts in this article for general processing. You brought up some things that I never touched on nor did I intend to. Sounds like you have been reading some other blogs. :)
Read this all again w/o any previous persuation, and see what you think.
Good call Jason. Again. This specific entry were for us all to think about...not resolve. The MySpace text you read was great, unfortuately. We suck at showing love. Love doesn't mean that we are soft wusses, or even tree-hugging hippies all about peace. We JUST DON'T KNOW how to love people as ourselves. If we did, things would be different over all. We are on a journey as we are all becoming.
Keep it coming.
Hey. "We get hung up on issues Jesus never did or would". Why do we? I don't know. I'm sure you wouldn't want to answer that.
Sometimes I feel that we don't really think that God is who He says that He is....in return He will not go before us in our planning by leading us by His Spirit.
Great post. It makes me and my team double think how we will plan some services we have coming up.
Thank you Chad.
Ken
Great article Chad.
SP
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