Ian was a roommate of mine in highschool in the Philippines. He's got an amazing ability to creatively (expressively) write. I think I've linked to him before, but I'll just link to this more recent post of his regarding the fleeting youth of American churches.
Ian, if you read this, full props to you. You write really well, and you write things that are really worth writing about.
4 comments:
Excuse this going in your comments Luke, but I don't want to have to get an Xanga account. You should hassle him into switching over to a better blogging site. Anyways, this is what I think about his article:
I think what you point out is just a symptom of a bigger problem: there is no tangible sense of God's power in these sorts of churches. It isn't a matter of being in or out of culture. Unless it is empirically evident that God is doing something, and it isn't just all a construct of man, then people aren't going to buy into it. I know I wouldn't. Let's face it, if there isn't real tangible power given to a person by being saved and proof of an eternal reward, then Christianity is a lame deal. Much better to live fast and die young.
oh i don't mind my blog being a discussion area. I enjoy it! And I don't think I have much power to influence Ian to convert from xanga to a different publisher. I read his site, but I don't really keep "in contact" any more. We're sorta at a place of knowing each other exist, and even that may be one way. (c:
Christ should be evident in the christian and in christian community. If He isn't visible then it is fully reasonable to doubt the claim. So, is He visible in today's church(es)? Yes. Not in many, but in more than just a few.
Part of the strain between youth and adult christian culture is really just the way we treat our youth in our nation/culture. The secular youth culture is how we are raising our kids, but we're trying to meld it together with christianity, and the incompatibility is viciously evident.
Life is lively and somber, and our youth culture seems to think it's more mindless. I think from all the activities that they do in church, it's "fun" and meets the cultural requirement imposed by the secular side, but.. it isn't satisfying, so why stay when they reach a point of wanting more depth? The transition is too rough. I don't have an answer, but I do think we should be raising our kids with more sobriety, and less mindless-ness. Youth: Turn off the Tv, go for a walk, talk to your parents, relate to them, have fun, get in trouble, be constructive.
To understand Christ and life with Him, a person has to be broken. And that isn't just the emotional camp that one goes to (which I do think are good, actually). Brokeness and a honest realization of sin is not a very 'cool' message, and is probably another thing that is lacking.
Yeah, I could go on and on, but I'd be wrong and write probably about as much as the readers, who could come up with their own reasons. It's an issue. It's complex, and God overcomes. (c: hallelujah. !
Eric, I think they're distinctly related. A self-absorbed church will not manifest the power of God the way it was created to. One is not a symptom of the other.
Also, not to argue with every point, but empirical evidence is not the only (nor, in my opinion, the best) way that God shows himself. I don't know what you're looking for in terms of evidence, but according to Christ love is the primary manifestation, and I'll be darned if anyone can empiricize or quantify that.
This is ian, by the way. That last comment was me. I use xanga so I can focus on content, not trying to figure out technology and design.
Thanks for mentioning that article, Luke.
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