The Theology of Culture Pubs — A Basic Premise
Churches tend to talk about “how God is working in our church.” Culture Pubs think about “how God is working in the world.”
This difference is rooted in a differing perspective about God.
Where is God?
The traditional answer is “everywhere.” God is omnipresent. But the way many of us talk it seems we think that God is in the church but not in the world.
The Bible tells us that God set aside a people for Himself. That would be “us.” But we think that because He chose us and set us aside for Him that He also set Himself apart from those who are not “us.” He sets Himself apart from “them.” So, we are set apart because He is set apart — from “them.”
We are the “clean.” They are the “unclean.” God cannot tolerate sin, he cannot be in the presence of evil. That’s why He hangs out with us. He likes us.
But I think that when God sets anybody apart, he sets them apart for others…not against others. He is for and with the ones we call “them.”
He likes them. That’s why he hangs out with them. He gives them words to speak that are truthful and prophetic words. He gives them a sense of the value of life and a sense of morality, honor, duty, forgiveness, redemption and grace. If you don’t think this is true just go to the “secular” movies or listen to “secular” music or read “secular” literature. If you do, you will see, hear and feel these themes running through everything human.
These themes — that are made acute in the Bible - didn’t get out there by accident. They are “out there” because God is “out there.”
“For God so loved the world…”
What do you think?
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Comment by chad johnston
# November 3, 2008,
Alex, there is also a third dimension. Churches can also talk about “how God is working in the world” and the amazing reality that the “church is getting to play a part in his workings”. I know you have given up on the “local church”, or the organizational expression of a localised gathering of people who follow Jesus. But I haven’t, and I wont. I’ve seen it done, and I expect to see it done even more in the future. I know too many people, as do you, who spend way too much time trying to “turn the ship”. This is silly. I’m more interested in knocking people overboard…lol. ..if they dont want to come with. I want my community of faith to be “out there” more than we are “in there” and we tend to not use the “us” and “them” terms, because in many ways, we are all “them”, and we are all “us”. Perhaps the future will envolve the culture pubs leading the churches and we all end up existing “out there”?
Comment by Alex
# November 4, 2008,
Chad, Thanks for the input.
Yes, a church can talk about what God is doing in the world, but I was describing what Churches tend to talk about. This is not a scientific statement. I intend to provoke more churches to talk about what God is doing out there. I believe more churches can! If you read this post carefully, you’ll see that the essence is motivating and permitting the church to get “out there.” After all, God is out there.
I totally agree with the last part of your comment. To me, the Culture Pubs are an expression (and experiment) of both the (1) apostolic nature of the church and (2) the contextualization of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Yes, I hope the CPs challenge all of us to have more of a presence “out there.” It is front line social research that apostolic teams will find useful in order to engage the culture they are trying to reach.
I totally disagree with your characterization of me as one who has given up on “the local church”. (Don’t worry. I’m not offended at all. :)) After all I’ve written to help the church be the church it is difficult to imagine how you came to this conclusion. Thanks for this chance to clarify. I haven’t given up on the “local church” at all. I think local Christ following communities with global aspirations are the plan. The last church I served before Voxtropolis was Mosaic. They do pretty good stuff. I hope what I write equips churches and church leaders. [Yes, I know I make some people furious and frighten others. I also know you’re not in either of those two camps].
In fact, I read what you write and think that you and I are pretty much on the same page. Right now you are within the system and I am outside of the system. (But that can change for either of us.) That colors how we say what we say. Like you, I too think what I do with Culture Pubs can be used to rejuvenate an institutional church or bypass (if necessary) the church because it is the church-in-action.
My next post will be on two structures that serve God’s purposes in the world — the modality and the sodality, the church and the apostolic structures. Both are needed.
Thanks for the input. Excellent stuff.
Comment by Timothy Wright
# November 10, 2008,
I enjoy your blog. Here are some excellent resources that I think you will find helpful. They are from Neil Cole who works with Jaeson Ma who is doing some amazing campus ministries in the USA? Any way the mp3’s that i think you will find helpful are on the page:
http://campuschurch.net/equip/equip.php?go=messages
In the event box:
SoCal Blueprint Training Weekend 4/2008
look at: Simple Church Leadership
Click on Part 1 and Part 2 and these are the talks I am referring to:
Talks about Apostolic church structures. very insightful stuff.
Bless you as you press in to Him.
Tim