Friday, April 04, 2008

Christian Subculture

There's a site that's been getting a lot of buzz on the blogs I follow. It's a blog called Stuff Christian Like. For anyone who has grown up in Church Culture, it will only take about 3 or 4 posts where you'll think, "Oh man, he nailed it."
Some of the titles to help you get an idea of what it's about...
Using "Let me pray about it" as a synonym for "no"
The Side Hug
Bible Fanny Packs
Super Happy Shiny Christian Radio
Comparing Braveheart to Chrisitianity

This site is great for a laugh, but it may also step on your toes a little as you read. Several times I found myself saying, "I've done that," and then asking, "Why did I?" or "Was that how I was interpreted." It's nice to get your toes stepped on.

I really resonate with the heart behind the author, Jonathan Acuff. In his explanation of the site, he states this:
I want to be honest and upfront and hopefully a little funny about the issues the church and Christians struggle with sometimes. I want to say, "Whoa, whoa, please don't judge me or God by Christian radio." I want to admit the times we've dropped the ball on issues or ideas that people called to love their neighbor should have knocked out of the park. I want to blow up misconceptions and preconceptions about what it means to be a Christian.

I read a post today from Rob Wegener's blog entitled "Cheesy Christian Art, Testamints, and Salt" that resonated with me as well. There's a few laughs involving some of the ridiculous and cheesy "Christian" stuff that is out there.
But the great read is Rob's 4 options how the church can engage the world (Civil Religion, Isolated Subculture, Imitating Subculture, and Salt and Light).

Both great reads for this Friday.


2 comments:

Andrew said...

Don't worry, I always made sure I was on the cool van. I just remember that sick, panicked feeling when bus assignments were happening. It crazy how weird everyone is in middle and high school. What a time of life.

TheThinker said...

You said,

"the blogs I follow."

Is it not interesting that the "sarcastic exposition" perspective is actually within the Christian subculture itself....

Extremes extreme...

Also, do you think trendiness is intrinsically bad, wrong, evil? Is it less good than some higher good or goal that ought to be pursued? If so, what is that?



ALL of that aside...

Is not this movement itself a reaction to the misconception that American Christianity is the rest of the world's Christianity? In reality, American Christianity and theology is a minority held understanding and application of Scripture and the action (or inaction) of the American church is unlike the rest of the Church throughout the world.

The rest of the Christian world does not see this problem and think, "oh man, this is bad, we better write a book about it." No, they respond by sending more missionaries to American than America sends anywhere else...period...

Derry, I love to read...I mean I practically can't stop...but America is full of books...a theology of spiritual junk food books...they're good and have a lot of truth in them...but reading books can never replace active missions (here or abroad...with neighbors or neighboring cultures/countries/continents...) I know you know this...as your passion is witnessing to the truth as Jesus testified to it.

And it can be good to have the veil lifted...even if it hurts, but sometimes it can lead us to think...ohh man I do that...AND therefore conclude....I shouldn't because that's not good or God-honoring.....

I have a situation where I'm mentoring this 9-year old...his mom bought him some sweet knit-hats that had some Scripture stuff on them...they were awesome....she even bought one for my friend and I as well...I wear this thing all the time....and so does my little brother (the boy I mentor - not BBBS though). Through that "trendy Christian apparel" I've been able to teach him how to use it to share the gospel, because he has had people ask what the numbers and symbols mean on the hats...

That's all to say that I agree that sometimes this trendy stuff is not really about the right purposes and doesn't mean we should presuppose good intentions...none of us carry them all the time...but that shouldn't limit us from believing that people might have them some of the time, or that Christian art cannot be demonstrated through fashion...and just because it may not be the best art available right now also doesn't mean we shouldn't engage that area at all...everything needs time to develop...and it more Christians aren't encouraged to get involved in those industries, how can we expect more? Witnesses are needed everywhere.

Thanks for your dedication to these posts so that I am able to start hashing this still out and therefore self-educate....

God bless you brother.