relevance defined
I hear the word "relevance" floating around these days. A lot of books that talk about the core values of the postmodern church spend a bulk of their energy on the concept.
They say that churches have lost their relevance to the non-believer. We're no longer connecting with the unchurched. So, I see churches immediately try to act cool, throw the candle-lighting and acoustic music in the background, and get a website up and use artsy videos. But is that really being relevant?
What does that really mean? I hear it all the time, and obviously have an idea of what it means. The dictionary says "having a bearing on or connection with the matter at hand."
I was reading "Love is the Killer App," a very good read by Tim Sanders which I look forward to talking more about. But, I came across his definition of relevant and I really liked it:
"Determined to a large degree by the frequency something important appears in your life. Milk and bread are relevant to someone's life, farraris and orangutans are not."
The important word that jumped out to me was "frequency", something I didn't find in any other definition, but it seems, particularly in the fast-paced cultural context we live in today, to be an important add-on.
Relevance, to me, is in constant change. Today's "candle-lit, video-enhanced, cool music" may be tomorrow's disconnection. The New Testament serves as (among other things) an inspired and eternally relevant case study of how the early church itself adapted and evolved with constant change and new challenges. They had a constant pulse on the most up-to-date cultural climate, and a single change in cultural change would cause the church to react instantly. Not only that, but it was even proactive, anticipating change ahead.
The problem today is church's are talking about being relevant, but by the time they think they're doing the latest thing, the unchurched says, "yeah, that's been around a while, and actually, we've already moved on to something else." In other words, we may be able to understand relevance, but we certainly can't keep pace with it. A lot of churches were designed to fit within the modern concept, a very structured, top-down pastoral approach that has (and sometimes does) had it's time of success. Unfortunately, our culture has decided to change on us, (these days, due to technology and the information age, change is going at record velocity) and many are either adjusting right away, very slowly reacting, or just plain refusing.
I could go on forever on this subject, but simply put:
In place of a fixed structure that is to fit all, Eikon should be about advocating a flexible, adaptable, evolving structure that is developed to meet the current needs. The key word is adaptability to change, and that will, in turn, increase the frequency of importance to the needs of the unchurched as well as the body of the Christ. There will be no sacred cows here at Eikon and we want to be held accountable to that.
That, in my opinion, is what being "relevant" is about in the 21st century church.
your thoughts
They say that churches have lost their relevance to the non-believer. We're no longer connecting with the unchurched. So, I see churches immediately try to act cool, throw the candle-lighting and acoustic music in the background, and get a website up and use artsy videos. But is that really being relevant?
What does that really mean? I hear it all the time, and obviously have an idea of what it means. The dictionary says "having a bearing on or connection with the matter at hand."
I was reading "Love is the Killer App," a very good read by Tim Sanders which I look forward to talking more about. But, I came across his definition of relevant and I really liked it:
"Determined to a large degree by the frequency something important appears in your life. Milk and bread are relevant to someone's life, farraris and orangutans are not."
The important word that jumped out to me was "frequency", something I didn't find in any other definition, but it seems, particularly in the fast-paced cultural context we live in today, to be an important add-on.
Relevance, to me, is in constant change. Today's "candle-lit, video-enhanced, cool music" may be tomorrow's disconnection. The New Testament serves as (among other things) an inspired and eternally relevant case study of how the early church itself adapted and evolved with constant change and new challenges. They had a constant pulse on the most up-to-date cultural climate, and a single change in cultural change would cause the church to react instantly. Not only that, but it was even proactive, anticipating change ahead.
The problem today is church's are talking about being relevant, but by the time they think they're doing the latest thing, the unchurched says, "yeah, that's been around a while, and actually, we've already moved on to something else." In other words, we may be able to understand relevance, but we certainly can't keep pace with it. A lot of churches were designed to fit within the modern concept, a very structured, top-down pastoral approach that has (and sometimes does) had it's time of success. Unfortunately, our culture has decided to change on us, (these days, due to technology and the information age, change is going at record velocity) and many are either adjusting right away, very slowly reacting, or just plain refusing.
I could go on forever on this subject, but simply put:
In place of a fixed structure that is to fit all, Eikon should be about advocating a flexible, adaptable, evolving structure that is developed to meet the current needs. The key word is adaptability to change, and that will, in turn, increase the frequency of importance to the needs of the unchurched as well as the body of the Christ. There will be no sacred cows here at Eikon and we want to be held accountable to that.
That, in my opinion, is what being "relevant" is about in the 21st century church.
your thoughts
posted by dschmiddy at 7:08 PM
5 Comments:
This post has been removed by a blog administrator.
This post has been removed by a blog administrator.
J,
Anytime you want to come over here, you're more than welcome:)
Thanks for those questions to ponder. They're all certainly important to address and many of which have been brought up in gathering together.
I also completely agree with you about its relativity. I think for you and I, that goes without saying and it can be a mistake that it is automatically assumed. That's an important point, but as I said, we can barely keep a pulse on it, let alone keep pace with it.
Relevance can change from city to city, let alone between nations, so it's obviously pertinant that we don't directly copy anyone else.
sorry. I'm an idiot and I posted comments under a blog name that I am making for a client. So I deleted them. Way to go sharp shooter. =)
People have needs, goals, and dreams. To the extent that something touches one of those three, it is relevant to that person. In other words, if something significantly affects a person's need (milk for hunger) or their goal (lost 20 pounds using a new diet) or dream (education enabled me to pursue a new line of work), it is relevant.
Further, "relevance" is the extent to which we understand an external force affects a personal need, want (goal) or dream; how it affects us and our lives directly.
Understnading that truth might be inconvenient, provocative, or convicting but it is always relevant. I think our job as believers is to speak loving truth in a way that is honest, clear, and easy to understand. It is the job of the Holy Spirit to make it "relevant" (meaningful, impactful)to the hearer. And He does.
If all of this is right, "relevance" involves both the external element (the event or issue itself) as well as the internal element (the understanding of how it affets us) both logically and emotionally.
The only thing we control is what others hear and see, not how much they understand or how they feel about it. Which brings us back to the beginning: making it sincere, honest and done in love and let the Lord take care of the rest.
Which is what you said to begin with.
Blessings,
-Jeff
Post a Comment
<< Home