cultural creativity

Today I had the opportunity to sit in on a talk given by Andy Crouch, author of Culture Making. The topic was on the relationship between the Church and culture. I was facinated and drawn in by the ideas he shared. He talked about how historically the Church has taken one of a number of positions toward culture: condemnation, critique, copying, consummer. We've outright condemned the "horrors" of culture - refusing to be part of any of it. We've taken the stance of critic; analyzing it from a number of angles in order to claim our part in it. We've copied it, thus creating "Christian" versions of culture that mimic what is being done in the secular world but with a Christian twist. And finally, we've consummed it, blindly taking in the culture around us without much thought or hesitation.

Andy suggests that rather than any of the above, we create culture, and by creating - we change it. Rather than being driven by fear, suspicion, a need to fit in, or apathetic laziness, we move toward something rather than away from something. We look at the world and ask "what is God doing?" and "how can we as a church join in with His work?" And then we initiate; we cultivate; we preserve what is already good in the world and look for ways to enhance and create more good. Do you love it? I love it! I'm so excited to read his book and learn more about the how and why of all this. I so long to see the Church step out of its corner and be the Church! Jesus is so good; so incredible, and God's work through Jesus is beautiful, full of hope and possibility. Why do we shrink back from that and hold it inward to ourselves? Why do we limit ourselves and act out of fear?

And what does this mean for me? How can I live into this? How can I approach my little world differently as a result?

http://www.culture-making.com/