Christianity And Culture From An Non-Christian's Perspcetive

I get both heart broken and angered when I see leaders in Christianity rely on "communication experts," "stats, "polls" and other similar things to be more "effective" in preaching and growing a local church. It's rather interesting and sad that when I see leaders use this type of method, their churches tend to look more like the world rather than "a pillar and buttress of the truth."

One cannot do things better than God can. God works through the power of the Spirit in the preaching of His Word and administration of the sacraments. Worship services are to be conducted in light of who He is, as He's revealed Himself through His Word. Worship is to be done as God has prescribed and commanded; not in a manner popular to the culture.

When men need to rely on "experts" I wish they would at least consider experts like Alan Wolfe. A social scientist, and also an unbeliever, who seems to have a better understanding of Christianity and culture more than many Christians.

The following quotes are from Alan Wolfe:

Talk of Hell, damnation, and even sin has been replaced by a non-judgmental language of understanding and empathy. Gone are the arguments over doctrine and theology … More Americans than ever proclaim themselves born again in Christ, but the Lord to whom they turn rarely gets angry and frequently strengthens self-esteem. [As a result] the faithful in the United States are remarkably like everyone else.

 ...Generally speaking, preaching in evangelically oriented growth churches, however dynamic in delivery, has remarkably little actual content. Scripture is invariably cited but only as a launching pad to reinforce the message of salvation that Jesus can offer.

...Evangelicalism’s popularity is due as much to its populistic and democratic urges—its determination to find out exactly what believers want and offer it to them—as it is to certainties of the faith.

 ...But popularity means bowing to, rather than resisting, popular culture, and since American popular culture is one that puts more emphasis on feeling good than thinking right, these movements tend to be especially hostile to potentially divisive doctrinal controversy.

...This adherence to growth can have its frustrations; watching sermons reduced to PowerPoint presentations or listening to one easily forgettable praise song after another makes one long for an evangelical willing to stand up, Luther-like, and proclaim his opposition to the latest survey of evangelical taste.

*Cited in Gilley, G. E. (2006). This Little Church Stayed Home: A Faithful Church in Deceptive Times (55, 56). Darlington, England: Evangelical Press.

*Gilley took the quotes from Alan Wolfe's book The Transformation Of American Religion: How We Actually Live Our Faith?