Contra Mundum

Anyone else notice that the church has been acting more and more like the world around it? Our services are more "seeker friendly", we have more "culturally relevant" messages, our favorite Christian artists dress and music is almost identical to the secular artists, we wear "cool" t-shirts that "share" our faith, while looking like the latest and coolest styles. It seems as though our modern church as we know it is enamored with identifying itself with the world's ways and ideals, and "coolness"

Has anyone else also noticed that the modern Church is basically powerless, ineffective, and dying. I've heard somewhere that close to 80% of the "christian" high schoolers in the church leave the faith after they graduate. This year's graduation of '09 is upon us. How many of them have we lost?

I happen to like a certain Latin phrase which I think sums up what we should be. It's "Contra Mundum", and it basically means "Against the World". That phrase sums up what our church, and us as Christians should be. Are we trying to please men or God?

For most, the idea of going against the world seems ludicrous. "What will happen to our numbers if we aren't culturally relevant?" "If we don't seem like the world, and are as cool as can be, we won't attract people to the church..." However, I believe that we need to go "Contra Mundum" This business of being just like the world to draw people has to stop. "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but instead be transformed by the renewing of your mind..." (Romans 12:2, NIV)

We have forgotten what Christianity is: A radical call of abandon to self, the taking up of our cross daily, and follow Him, our King! We need to die to self, and follow, against the flow of the world. James 4:4: "You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God." (NIV) "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters." (Matthew 12:30, NIV) As I shared earlier in my previous post, (http://becomingawarriorpoet.blogspot.com/2009/05/for-king-and-kingdom.html) We are either on one side or another. We need to be fully over for God.

What's with the focus on being "cool"? Why is our church focusing on being "seeker friendly", being "culturally relevant"? Have we forgotten that Jesus said "All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved."? (Matthew 10:22, NIV) Or, that "anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me." (Matthew 10:38, NIV) Historically, being a follower of Christ means to be "Contra Mundum", and to be hated and persecuted.

We need to have the same attitude as the apostles, who after being beaten, and warned severely not to preach in His name, left "...rejoicing because they were counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name." (Acts 5:41, NIV). They knew what it meant what it meant ot be "Contra Mundum". Do we?

For Christ's Glory!