So…I don’t often step up onto my dusty soapbox, and I certainly don’t want to seem holier-than-thou in saying this and run the risk of being misunderstood, but I’m gonna do it anyway.
[begin soapbox] As an artistic, right-brained person, I truly appreciate and enjoy employing creativity and fun and humor to engage others and to further God’s message of redemption and love. God gave each person unique gifts that should be used ways that bring Him honor and fame, be it musically, artistically, pastorally, etc. However, I find it to be a really sad state of affairs when, rather than relying upon the awesomeness and simplicity of the message of Jesus as being enough of a reason to attract people and give them hope and change, so many churches are instead embracing schticky gimmicks to entertain and retain—especially when it comes to young people.
Yes, there most definitely is room for (and a need for) creativity and fun in reaching out to a modern world—God is the most creative of all and definitely has a sense of humor—but when Christ takes second, third stage or even backstage to these kinds of things, and when He is barely acknowledged in most of what is done in His own house, it makes me question the state of the modern church. It is, after all, supposed to be all about Jesus and His message. It’s His church. This reminds me of His message to the church at Laodicea in Revelation 3:14. Lukewarm.
At their core, people are hungry for and are seeking out spiritual food, not just pep talks. And despite what the world would tell you, young people desire spiritual guidance and truth, not simply fun and games. Jesus has to be the center of everything the church does. That doesn’t mean that we can’t use our creative gifts and talents in fun and imaginative ways, but if they are not applied in a God-honoring way, and if they don’t help emphasize the message of the Gospel, it’s wasted fluff—chaff that will blow away in the wind, and does a huge disservice to all. Church can (and should) be fun, without Jesus, what’s the point? [end soapbox]
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