In our pursuit of making our faith relevant to our culture, are we missing the point somewhat? Don’t get me wrong – I am passionate about presenting the Good News in a way that our culture can understand, but I must ask the question: Are we more concerned with the packaging than we are with the content?
Put another way… if a person was dying of thirst, would he care what the bottle looked like? Of course not. The real challenge is then, not making the packaging more desirable, but how to convince our culture that Jesus is the only person that will give them thing that will truly quench their thirst.
Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who I am, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.”
“But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this is a very deep well. Where would you get this living water? And besides, are you greater than our ancestor Jacob who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his cattle enjoyed?”
Jesus replied, “People soon become thirsty again after drinking this water. But the water I give them takes away thirst altogether. It becomes a perpetual spring within them, giving them eternal life.”
“Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me some of that water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to haul water.”John 10:10-15 (NLT)
As the deer pants for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God. Psalm 42:1-2a (NLT)
Comic relief below.
Papyrus Font Award
Informally Dressed Pastor Award
Edgy Tee Shirt Award
CRACK ME UP!
Posted by Symon | May 21, 2010, 8:05 amI think you’re onto something. In this quick fix, info overloaded, instant world, Jesus is still the same and doesn’t change his persona according to the world.
Posted by Jodz | May 21, 2010, 11:58 amoooooh funny but yowch! Glad you added what the awards were – was trying to read them but they faded out too fast! Great details!
Posted by Sophie | May 21, 2010, 12:24 pmMate, that is the funniest thing i’ve seen in ages…ouch…don’t make me laugh!
Posted by Les | May 21, 2010, 12:35 pmSymon where did you find this??? It’s hilarious because its so darn true!
Took me a while to figure out “papyrus font” award… ahhh they used the font PAPYRUS in their subtitles… so very hip, I guess???
I think I may have to Facebook this one. :)
Posted by Simone | May 21, 2010, 1:27 pmNo offense to everyone who liked it …but I thought it was dumb!
Posted by Rebecca | May 21, 2010, 2:06 pmInteresting and thought provoking……. I see the funny side to this video clip, definitely. Hilarious – the awards, the songs, the formula…… but it has left out the heart. The heart to see people saved, to see people living their life as God intended them to. It’s my church family that it’s laughing at. We were hungry for Jesus, thirsty for Him, yet it took us two years of church hopping before we found a House that we could comfortably call home. Does the packaging matter? I guess if we want to reach people in all circumstances of life, it does. The culture of church has changed over the years (thank God)…. but has Jesus and the message, and the heart that we are sharing? No. When that changes, then there is an issue.
In the same way that those Christians in impoverished nations wouldn’t trade places with us….. I wouldn’t trade places with them. Am I shallow? No, I don’t think so. Has wealth diluted my hunger and thirst for Jesus?? No. I need Him. End of story.
Sorry, I only have a few minutes…. but thanks for this post – I always enjoy being challenged in my thinking!!
Posted by Gail | May 21, 2010, 2:13 pmSorry – I meant to say, I wouldn’t change places with them simply because I know it’s not my calling in life. It doesn’t mean I can’t thirst and hunger for Jesus in outworking my own calling – here in the heart of Auckland!
Does that make sense?
Posted by Gail | May 21, 2010, 2:15 pmI think it’s good to be provoked sometimes to think about why we do things… ouch. I don’t see anything wrong with being relevant unless (like Gail said) the main reason is left out… when church is all about formulas and pleasing people and the Spirit of God is missing it gets scary. We need to make Jesus the priority at all times.
Posted by PaisleyJade | May 21, 2010, 2:22 pmI have three confessions to make:
I wear edgy tees and cool glasses
I dress informally
I used to love Papyrus font
;-)
Posted by Symon | May 21, 2010, 2:26 pmAnd you use whiteboards, start your music set with a fast song and introduce a song “nobody knows”… haha
Posted by PaisleyJade | May 21, 2010, 2:38 pmHmmm, after reading Gail’s comment I think she’s right. This IS very funny, and I guess in our own way “happy clappy” formulas can just as easily replace the “traditional liturgies” we happy clappies “look down on”… if that’s all it is.
Conversely, a heartfelt traditional service can speak to people if done with God at the forefront and His spirit at the centre.
Same of course for “happy clappies”. If God’s spirit/presence is there, if Jesus is centre, then it’s not just a formula. But it its all about the packaging… empty noise.
Isn’t there a verse like that somehwere in Corinthians??
Posted by Simone | May 21, 2010, 4:55 pmThe only sin greater than Papyrus would have to be Comic Sans. And Sym, if I didn’t know any better I might think you had been influenced by Rob ;)
Posted by Stephen | May 22, 2010, 12:30 amha love this! but yeah, sometimes church can be so much ‘same old, same old’ that we miss the point – it’s all about Jesus and reaching people. that’s what i got out of it anyway. love your controversy stuff symz :)
Posted by Rachel Kate | May 24, 2010, 4:33 pmHi Simone – clip by these guys: http://insidenorthpoint.org/
Posted by Symon | May 24, 2010, 6:57 pm