Questions for Scott and Bret

Scott and Bret,

I know that you two men are not only pastors but worship leaders as well, being musically inclined unlike myself. (I think it has something to do with thinking with the right side of my brain… rather than wrong side or left side or something like that.) So, I want to ask you men a question concerning worship.

It seems to me that the modern church mindset of worship eventually became a seeker-targeted model. Everything about Sunday had to do with winning the lost, even Sunday School. People were encouraged to bring their lost family members to hear the Gospel, make a decision for Christ, get baptized, and bring someone else next week. Music styles began to mimic secular styles; some songs were even secular songs with Christian lyrics. Welcome committees, greeters, coffee and donuts, visitor parking, door prizes, sermons with “relevant” hooks, drama, media presentations… on and on I could go about strategical attempts to win the lost at any cost.

Now, as you men know I am very evangelistic in my ministry. I believe that the fulfilling of the Great Commission is why we are upon the earth. I believe that we should welcome our visitors on Sunday, make them feel warmth and love from our members, and share with them the Gospel. You know I believe a church should be being used by God as the means of converting the lost.

But does it not seem to you guys that that modern church mindset, that ignored the ecclesiology of the Bible and turned the church into a miniture Billy Graham Crusade, has continued in the postmodern church mindset as EC’ers try to conform the church into something that will appeal to the lost pomos? Does it not seem that you cannot talk to EC’ers about Biblical issues concerning worship because they immediately begin to talk about trying to win the lost? Does it not seem that the postmodern mindset is making the same mistakes as the modernists before them of letting culture dictate principles? Like Scott said, the EC is a new breed of the hippie movement. I agree, but these hippies have jobs and money and are internet savy. And also unlike the the hippie generation, our parents and teachers and authorities today do not want to offend the neo-hippy-pomos because we should be tolerant and understanding as opposed to the way our parents were.

Men, what is the answer? How can we defend biblical Christian worship in this age of confusion? Is there a way around the EC pastors who have drunk the postmodern Kool-aid?

I feel as if Paul were to arrive at Mars Hill of 2006 he would find that the unknown god would not exist. It would have been replaced by a guitar playing, $65 pair of sandals wearing, 28 year old white guy with a goatee, pierced tongue, and shaved head proclaiming that this god is known through the music of U2. Paul would still preach Christ and the resurrection, but the 28 year old would say, “Right on, that’s Him, but you don’t need to know any more or go to any church, you can experience him right here on Mars Hill while you respect and worship other gods.”