The Church’s Mission in a Changing World
July 4, 2010
Rachael and I do not watch a lot of movies. This is no moral conviction but a reality of life. By the time we get our children to bed, my hard-working wife is running on fumes and does not have two hours in her for anything, even vegging in front of a screen. But somehow we saw two movies in one week, and in so doing woke up to how the world is changing.
First, we watched a movie at home. By that I do not mean that we drove down to the Blockbuster on 28th and Indian School, picked out a movie, drove home, watched it, and drove back to return it the next day. The Blockbuster on 28th and Indian School is no more. Why? Because all we had to do to rent a movie was click a few buttons on Amazon, and there it was on my computer screen. Voila. Our second movie experience was equally futuristic. Toy Story 3 in 3D. I had my expectations up for the movie rather than the cinematic experience, but both ended up being spectacular. The 3D previews alone convinced me that watching movies in 3D is definitely the wave of the future.
These changing times became evident not only in entertainment but also in personal communication. On Thursday I finally caved to what many families have done already: drop the landline. Though there was a bit of sentimentality and trepidation in the experience, two things helped. First, we will save $30 a month. Second, when I half-apologized to the lady at Qwest, she responded, “Oh, that’s OK. We do not consider ourselves a phone company anymore. We consider ourselves an Internet provider.” Smart move. If only Blockbuster had a plan B.
All this change sparked further meditation on how we as a church think about the future and our mission in a changing world. From the outset there is a significant juncture in how we think about such things. One path of thought is to ponder how the church should adapt in fundamental ways to the change around us. While beneficial shifts have come of this–like updating our English Bible translation from the Elizabethan era–so have destructive shifts. One liberal German theologian was so swept up by Enlightenment assumptions that he claimed it was impossible to flip a light switch and continue to believe in miracles at the same time.
Yet another path remains as we see everything changing before our eyes. We can think outside the box. Rather than allowing our identity, beliefs, and mission to be transformed by the world, we must focus on the transformation our message will bring to the world. Smartphones, 3D movies, and light switches are small beans compared to the spiritual and moral metamorphosis of the human heart. Advances in transportation, communication, and medicine pale in comparison to the resurrection of the body and eternal, direct communion with our Creator. And these truly futuristic realities are only made possible through the resurrection of the crucified Jesus of Nazareth.
These claims are no inflated posturing or verbal trickery. Ours is a gospel that, at its heart, is about “making all things new” (Rev 21:5; cf. 2 Cor 5:17). As outdated as the cross and empty tomb may seem next to the latest gizmo, the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus is the most future-oriented reality of human history. And our mission as a church centers on proclaiming and portraying this Christ.
Let this upper-hand we have in the department of true change motivate us to stay on mission. By God’s mercy we steward the one message that will usher people into the age to come. This is the highest of callings with the greatest consequence imaginable, so let us carry it out with humility, urgency, and endurance.
Pastor Chris