Wednesday, August 20

Culture Browsing

One of the main objections Christianity faces today is the misconception that following Christ in the XXI century means to have checked your brain at the door. It seems that you have made a conscious decision to disconnect yourself from the world and chosen to live a life of cultural isolation, social segregation, and complete intellectual obliteration. Welcome to a post-Christian world!

The challenge gets amplified when we read the words of Paul in II Timothy 2:5, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” Many times we limit the implications of this passage to being well versed in the Bible alone. Although hermeneutics and solid theology are of paramount importance, if we are to be a lighthouse to this society we should to be willing to step up our game and be like Paul standing tall on Mars Hill (Acts 17:22-31).  We have to be able to feel the pulse of our time, read the culture and understand the trends. We must be 21st century equivalents to the sons of Issachar (1 Chronicles 12:32).
What’s the answer?
We have to become better-informed consumers.
Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the immeasurable amount of information being thrown at you every day? Social Media, news, ministry resources, blogs, printed media, etc! So much available and so little time to sort through the piles and piles of stuff!
Here are some ideas and steps that I have applied to my own life to help me widen my cultural worldview and pursue a well-rounded approach to ministry. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
1. Wide but Narrow
Most of us have already established somewhat of a pattern in our content acquisition routine. Naturally we have the tendency to favor certain outlets or writers that we feel best represent our worldview or opinions. Unfortunately, unless we make an intentional effort to widen our scope and expand the reach of our information intake, we will remain secluded and utterly culturally irrelevant.  We can’t expect to understand what society looks, sounds or feels like if we try to just stare at it with binoculars from inside our Christian bubble. Some of us ministers have been living inside our Christian sphere for so long that we don’t even notice it.
Take on the challenge to add some extra sources to your routine. If you favor a particular news outlet, try to also listen to or read from somebody across the sidewalk. It will be very enlightening (Fox News, meet the Huffington post and vice-versa).  Explore different publications that may help you get a different read on social or cultural issues (Rolling Stone could be a good starting point). Take advantage of different groups that are already trying to help the church understand the development of new social and cultural trends (Barna Frames is a very effective and versatile resource that would meet this criteria).
Enriching and diversifying your data intake will only help you navigate the fast-paced and always changing ministry landscape of our time. Explore, discover, and grow.
2. Maximize your Social Media Utilization
Social media can either be one of your greatest assets or greatest disruptions. We all know that it is extremely easy to aimlessly browse through our feeds simply to kill time… and that is killing us. We are cluttering our minds and time with a very shallow sense of reality.
It’s time we turn our social media outlets into true ministry allies. Get on twitter and search for some different authors that are engaging followers with great content and resources. Multiple movements and organizations share great information and statistics on a regular basis. There is nothing wrong with the occasional cute puppy picture that makes most of us smile while looking at our newsfeed. But we must deepen and enhance our social media usage to also help us lead and serve better.
3. Engage
One of the greatest resources to help you navigate the oceans of culture is the young people sitting in the pews of your church week in and week out. Invite a few college students over for some pizza and ask them a few questions that help you get on the inside. Which bands are hot right now? Have you seen anything crazy on YouTube lately? Simple questions like that will give you a good head start.
A second element that could be beneficial to your ministry outlook as you engage young people is to embrace dialogue regarding some of the issues defining society today. Listening to their opinions regarding the legalization of marijuana and gay marriage, or talking about the cultural relevance of the gospel in the XXI century could help you widen your understanding of what the beat on the street really feels like. However, as you engage, be careful to maintain open communication lines. Some of the questions or opinions you will encounter may seem in direct opposition to some of the values or beliefs that you and I hold dear. It is vital for them to know that you love them, that you value their opinions, and that you are glad they are in this journey alongside you. Do your best to offer your opinion and even correction while still respecting what they have to say. There is a difference between telling them they’re wrong and creating dialogue that points them in the right direction! Don’t be afraid of the scary questions and opinions they have…God isn’t!
Creative Commons License
This work by Max Barroso is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.