Culture Conquers Church

In the traditional historic Church, we are accustomed to arriving at our parish church named for the Saint under whose protection it is dedicated.  And the Communion will clearly be stated, e.g. Roman Catholic, Episcopal, Orthodox, Ecumenical Catholic, and so forth.  Faithful pass through a narthex into the nave where they join with the ordained and other commissioned ministers in the sanctuary, worshipping God following tried-and-true ancient tradition.

In the emerging paradigm, the worshipper arrives at a "campus," often a "satellite campus" entering a "worship centre" whose "auditorium" or "space" affords a light and sound show on a "stage," where one can receive a "worship experience."  More and more the church is named for a vague concept like "Comfort" or "Abundance," "Wisdom" or "Journey," and sometimes for the geography, "Lake Crest" or "Church on a Mound."  Sometimes the congregation even sports a snazzy promotional name, like "Church on a Roll" or "Church that Gets It." Many promote themselves through logo window decals for cars and high visibility public events.  One often has to guess the flavour of such a congregation, because it either has no denominational affiliation (so, where do they get their teachings?) or the denomination's name has deliberately been reduced to small type on advertising or eliminated altogether, to gain advantage in attracting new folks.

There is certainly a different ambience.   I don't want to judge the sincerity or effectiveness of these newcomers to the Christian scene.  But I do ask myself certain questions about this phenomenon.  For example, shouldn't the fundamental teachings of a religious congregation be identifiable?  To say "We believe the Bible" is nonsense; there are more than thirty thousand protestant denominations unable to agree on its interpretation.  I would be confused if the congregation's belief system is whatever the pastor thinks that week and, if it is, I would be particularly interested to know about his theological education and training.

I would also love to know the extent to which the worship experiences take root in the believer's life beyond simply an emotional high.  A non-sacramental system must surely touch a worshipper in a different way, perhaps with an immediacy that is missing from churches deeply rooted in the two thousand years of Christian history.  As with all of us, by their fruits ye shall know them.