grace flows down

Contemporary Reality

Lately it seems that I've been encountering the Emergent Church movement, whether through blogs, emails, conversations, etc. I am not well-educated in the subject--it's next on my list of "things to try to understand." But it does seem to be an important topic as it is gaining momentum, especially among young Christians. From what I understand, the Emergent Church is focused on experiencing God, especially in worship. Traditional worship is irrelevant because it's limiting to the emotions, apparently.

I watched Man of the Year this weekend and caught an interesting correlation between modern politics and the contemporary church. The movie chronicles the impromptu presidential campaign of a political satirist/comedian. (Really hilarious, if you're interested in seeing it.) Robin Williams is the independent politician who claims to see the world honestly and tells it like it is.

The thesis of the movie boils down to the idea that the old forms, rites, and traditions of party politics are not only dated, but they neither work nor reach contemporary culture. One of the most important points in the movie is a scene where Williams ditches traditional pomp and circumstance at his campaign rally and instead has a light show pep rally - much like a rock concert or half-time show. The rally scene really demonstrates the film's call for experiential politics. You could almost hear the director saying, "Let the audience feel the power of politics, communicate with emotion; words mean nothing here!"

Does this illustrate a widespread cultural problem, one that's not limited to just the church? Is this technological age backfire--that contemporary culture is rejecting "computerization and programming" to the extent that everything is becoming emotionally driven? "Out with the old and in with the real," seems to be a motto of many these days. It is interesting to see how it has influenced not only the church, but as with Man of the Year, it also impacts entertainment media, politics, communication, and the way current events are perceived.

So how do we answer it?

posted by Shannon Koons @ 9:16 PM