A Counter-Cultural Church

A Counter-Cultural Church

"Counter-cultural" is a popular buzz word in the circle of change agents. Exponents of change use this term when criticizing the churches of Christ that have not embraced their new agenda. (See this expressed in Kingdom Come by John Mark Hicks and Bobby Valentine, 2006).

Counter-cultural is a term with imprecise meaning. It could mean a thousand different things to a thousand different people. Culture is the world-view, the values, mores and customs of the society in which we live. It includes a common language, a common loyalty to one's nation and laws. It is expressed in art and music and transmitted to children and immigrants through parents, schools and churches. As the ocean is to the fish, so his culture is to a person. In a nation such as ours, there are hundreds of sub-cultures within the larger America culture. These are based on such things as ethnicity, religion and vocation. No one living in a particular country can completely escape the prevailing culture. He can reject objectionable aspects thereof. He can find or develop his own sub-culture to be a part of. He can renounce and fight against it. But his culture is as pervasive as the air he breathes. This is also true of Christians and the church of Christ.

There is a sense in which every congregation reflects the culture in which it exists. Should the church absorb the sinful aspects of its cultural environment it will stand condemned. If however it reflects culturalisms that are good or harmless, no charge can be laid against it. This can be seen in the following. A church of Christ in America will most likely speak English. It's members will reflect America hair and clothing styles. The food they eat will be typical US fare. The church's meeting place will reflect the contemporary style of American religious architecture. It will be evident in the transportation we use and our business methods. It will be seen in the businesses where we shop.

Even the style of our worship will reflect the culture in which we live. The time of day and length of our services are culturally determined. The kind of hymns we sing and the way our sermons are delivered are influenced by our culture. One need not go abroad to see this truth. If you are of Anglo-European descent, just go and visit a congregation whose membership is predominantly Black. A person from the deep-South can see it when visiting a church in New England or California and vis-a-versa. Members of an affluent congregation can visit a congregation in a poor neighborhood or a rural setting and see my point. So we all are part of our particular culture and reflect that in our personal and congregational life. These same points hold true for Christians in other nations of the world.

There is a sense in which every congregation and every Christian should be counter-cultural. In any and all areas where our culture is sinful we must refuse to embrace it. We must even stand against it (Eph. 5:11). Our citizenship in Christ's heavenly kingdom must always take precedence over our citizenship in the nation where we live (Phil. 3:20; Acts. 5:29). We must not be conformed to the world's sinful standards (Rom. 12:1-2). We live by the higher standard of King Jesus (Matt. 28:20). In some cultures the church finds a reasonably congenial environment. It has been thus here in America. In others she will be hard pressed. We must always remember that we are sojourners and pilgrims in this world and that we must abstain from the fleshly lusts which war against the soul" (I Pet. 2:11).

Being counter-cultural has nothing to do with wearing sandals, or primitive apparel. It has nothing to do with uncut hair for women and bearded men. It does not mean driving a buggy or living in a long cabin. It means being a genuine, dedicated Christian as we live in the midst of our culture. It means to be faithful to Christ in our teaching and worship. It means being busy advancing the kingdom of Christ as we go about our daily lives. It means loving our fellow-Christian as Christ loved us which will cause all men to know that we are His disciples (John 13:34-35).

It often happens that those who talk most about being counter-cultural are most like postmodern American culture and least like the church of which Christ is head and savior (Eph. 5:23).

Sincerely,

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