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Posted On 10 September, 2003

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and this from Reaching Out Without Dumbing Down by Marva Dawn (via steve.mcmillan):

At the 1987 Vancouver World’s Fair, the Christian pavilion’s presentation utilized glitzy double-reversed photography and flashing lasers. When I tried to explain my qualms about the production to an attendant who had asked me how I liked their “show,” she protested that it had saved many people. I asked, “Saved by what kind of Christ?” If people are saved by a spectacular Christ, will they find him in the fumbling of their own devotional life or in the humble services of local parishes where pastors and organists make mistakes? Will a glitzy portrayal of Christ nurture in new believers his character of willing suffering and sacrificial obedience? Will it create an awareness of the idolatries of our age and lead to repentance? And does a flashy, hard-rock sound track bring people to a Christ who calls us away from the world’s superficiality to deeper reflection and meditation?

in the evangelical church’s pursuit of excellence have we lost authenticity? does it matter that there is a typo in the overheads/PPT slides? (for four years our intervarsity group sang, “oh heavenly father, oh light of the would” just like it was on the overhead.) does it matter when the sound system offers an unexpected wail of feedback or when i fumble through my notes because i’ve mis-placed a page? i guess the answers depend on what you are introducing outsiders to, on what you are calling your community to: perfection, professionalism, “excellence,” and program; or faithfulness, perserverance, forgiveness, and relationship? not to make an excuse for sloppy preparation or laziness, but perhaps we’re missing the point when we spend so much time on these details. at too many gathering i’ve busied myself running around fixing these sorts of details. might my time have been better - and more eternally - spent in conversation?

maybe that’s part of what appeals to be about some of the alt.worship examples i’ve seen. the work is done ahead of time; at the gathering the installations are in large part self-propelled. some people i see but once a week (if that). rather than investing in programming during this time, i can invest in relationships.

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