There are some churches that have “discovered†the best way for them to “do church,†and they continue to do this same method, practice, style, etc.. until today. The problem with this inflexibility is that this way of doing church may stretch back fifty or more years. Many look to the church and a worship service to be a place that changes very little over time, and this gives them a sense of comfort.
I have talked with many people over the years who may go to church a half dozen times a year, and they expect it to be exactly the same every time, or it’s not really “church.†I even talked with one gentleman who literally argued with me about how churches should have a cross in their logo, or they were “sell outs.†After more discussion with this I guy I learned that he did not even go to church and had not, nor would not, for some time.
The world has some whacked out views about what a church experience should be like. They also have some healthy and fair expectations of what a church experience should be like. We know that bad experiences with less than credulous Christians greatly impacts a persons desire to attend a local congregation.
So in an effort to show the world how relevant and “real†we are we try to different things to seek to bridge this cultural gap. Change is a healthy and natural part of relating to the world around us – but it has to be within the bounds of what the Bible teaches. In many ways appearance and perception is foundational, and of extreme importance. If people think you are crazy, unapproachable, judgmental, or irrelevant then why would they ever want to set foot in your church services.
Which brings us to this video – they are seeking to blend some things in which you just need to make a choice (dance or no dance, dress or casual, modern music or 80’s, etc…) I believe that when the world sees this mixed up mess (or other things like it), they laugh and are reassured that their choice to sleep in on Sunday has been the right choice. The main problem that I see with this fandango group is that they aren’t willing to let go of tradition but are trying to add modernity to what they have already been doing. Churches have to be willing to learn from the past, treasure tradition, but let go of it in order to move into the future. When you try to do both at the same time it just comes across as comical. Remember culture changes (who still has a 8-track in their car?) but the Bible and it’s truths never change. We are to tell the never changing story in ever changing new ways.
