The Idol of Relevance

Once again, I very much appreciate the work of Os Guinness – this time in his 2003 work, Prophetic Untimeliness: A Challenge to The Idol of Relevance.  One of Guinness’ major themes of this short book is the following provocative phrase: “Never have Christians pursued relevance more strenuously; never have Christians been more irrelevant” (p. 12).  Essentially, Guinness says that most “Christian” attempts at relevance end up being trivial, trite, and transient.  This relevance is not based on truth but popularity, and thus Christianity today is largely irrelevant in the United States.  How many non-Christians listen to Christian radio or watch Christian movies because they are so relevant to the deep and fundamental issues of life?

Here’s a synopsis of the book in Guinness’ own terms.

“By our uncritical pursuit of relevance we have actually courted irrelevance; by our breathless chase after relevance without a matching commitment to faithfulness, we have become not only unfaithful but irrelevant; by our determined efforts to redefine ourselves in ways that are more compelling to the modern world than are faithful to Christ, we have lost not only our identity but our authority and relevance.  Our crying need is to be faithful as well as relevant” (p. 15).

Those of you who are pastors or elders in churches that haven’t followed the winds of “pop” culture will want to get this book.  It will encourage you to continue to pursue faithfulness and preach truth in a culture that values the fad and worships the trend.  Or, if you are in a church that tries way too hard to be relevant, get this book for your pastor and elders/leaders.  Finally, I’d recommend this book for any Christian who wonders how Christianity and culture should interact.  It’s a great critique of evangelicalism’s idolatry of relevance, but it’s also a constructive way forward in faithfulness to the truth of the Word.  As Guinness says, “Is the culture decisive and the audience sovereign for the Christian church?  Not for one moment” (p. 66).

I’ll come back to this book, Prophetic Untimeliness, again later.  For now let me say that it is one of my top 10 books for 2012.  At the time of this post, you can get a used hardcover copy for well under $10.

shane lems

The Apostle Paul Confronting Idolatry

Here’s a helpful summary of how Paul confronted idolatry in his epistle to the church in Rome compared with his interactions with Gentiles (recorded in Acts by Luke).

“Comparing Paul’s theological argument to Christians in Romans 1 with his evangelistic preaching to pagans recorded in Acts, there is a marked difference of tone, even though there is certainly no clash of fundamental conviction.”

“Romans, written to Christians, highlights the wrath of God.  Acts, referring to speeches made to pagans, highlights God’s kindness, providence, and patience.  Both, however, insist on God’s judgment.

-Romans portrays idolatry as fundamentally rebellion and suppression of the truth.  Acts portrays it as ignorance.

-Romans portrays the wickedness that idolatry spawns.  Acts portrays idolatry as ‘worthless.’

-Romans points out how perverted the idolater’s thinking has to be.  Acts points out how absurd it is when you stop and think about it.

-Paul could excoriate idolatry as ‘a lie’ before Christian readers, but did not blaspheme Artemis before her pagan worshipers.”

“So there is a difference in tone and tactic in Paul’s confrontation with idolatry, depending on the context of his argument.  However, we should be clear that in both cases, he is building all he has to say on very solid scriptural foundations, for every one of the points mentioned above, even though they have differing and balancing emphases, can be related to the Old Testament’s rhetoric against idolatry.  It is particularly noteworthy that although Paul nowhere quotes Old Testament texts in his evangelistic preaching among Gentiles (as he so profusely does when speaking among Jews in synagogues), the content of his message is thoroughly grounded in and plainly proclaims the monotheistic creational faith of Israel.”

This is (obviously) a summary of a larger argument, but it is a helpful one.  For more on this topic, be sure to get Christopher Wright, The Mission of God.  The above quote is found on page 182 of this book.

shane lems

Prayer to Mary?

 In the Roman Catholic Catechism prayer to Mary is explained in part 4, chapter 2, article 2.  The Catechism talks about the “twofold movement of prayer to Mary” which 1) consists of magnifying the Lord for what he did through her and 2) “entrusts the supplications and praises of the children of God to the Mother of Jesus.”    This twofold movement is found in the Ave Maria (Hail Mary), the traditional Catholic prayer which addresses Mary, who is ”full of grace.”  The Catechism also calls her ”the dwelling of God…with men,” and ascribes to her these names: “the Mother of Mercy, the All-Holy One.”

Because Mary is at the top of the human ladder of blessedness, the Catechism also says we can “entrust all our cares and petitions to her: she prays for us as she prayed for herself…we give ourselves over to her now…to surrender ‘the hour of our death’ wholly to her care.”  In fact, Rome says, “We can pray with and to her.  The prayer of the Church is sustained by the prayer of Mary and united with it in hope.”

This is one of the major reasons why the Reformation happened: because Rome was steeped in corrupt, idolatrous worship.  And this is why the Reformation matters today, because Rome has not repented of her idolatry; the above quotes are from the Roman Catholic Church’s modern Catechism.

Herman Bavinck was right: “In Rome, Mariolatry increasingly crowds out the true Christian worship of God. … It is against this idolization of the human that the Reformation rose up in protest” (RD III p. 282).

The [Lutheran] Smalcald Articles (Part 2, article 2) also say it well: “The invocation of saints is…one of Antichrist’s abuses that conflicts with the chief article [the gospel] and destroys the knowledge of Christ [Phil. 3:8].  It is neither commanded nor counseled, nor has it any warrant in Scripture.  Even if it were a precious thing – which it is not – we have everything a thousand times better in Christ.”

The Westminster Confession of Faith 21.1 puts it this way: “Religious worship is to be given to God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; and to him alone: not to angels, saints, or any other creature: and, since the fall, not without a mediator, nor in the mediation of any other but of Christ alone.”

The Lutheran and Presbyterian confessions are right.  Since Christ alone is sufficient for everything we need in salvation (body and soul, life and death), we don’t have to look elsewhere for anything.  When we do so, we are turning from Christ, committing idolatry, and acting as if his work is not enough.  This is one great reason to thank God for the Reformation -  he used it to bring the focus on back upon Christ and him alone.  Post tenebras lux!

shane lems

Idolatry and the Cult of Narcissism

In the last few years, quite a few Christian preachers and authors have written books that discuss idolatry in the Christian’s life.  Building on C.S. Lewis and other currently trendy Christian thinkers from the recent past, Tim Keller, Mark Driscoll and other popular leaders do a decent job unmasking the idols many of us have.  I’m glad these teachers are helping us fight idolatry in our lives, but in my opinion their work takes a distant back seat to a book written nearly 30 years ago: Herbert Schlossberg’s Idols For Destruction: The Conflict of Christian Faith and American Culture.

I have mentioned this book on the blog before (here and here), but it is important enough to mention again.  In Idols for Destruction, Schlossberg talks about these: 1) Idols of History, 2) Idols of Humanity, 3) Idols of Mammon/Money, 4) Idols of Nature, 5) Idols of Power, and 6) Idols of Religion.  The final two chapters are sort of application chapters where Schlossberg wrestles with the difficult questions of how Christianity relates to such an idolatrous culture.  This 300+ page book is a brilliant and scholarly walk-through and critique of the idols Americans worship daily.

For one example, listen to Schlossberg’s discussion of narcissism – or at least a little part of his discussion:

“Psychologies of narcissism fall into the mainstream of the new American society in stressing the importance of the experiences of life.  As materialism gives way to the new spiritualism, what is possessed seems less important than what is experienced.  People would rather save for a luxurious vacation than a luxurious car.  Experience is important because it is composed of sensations, and sensations are all that is left of man after the reductionisms of both behaviorism and pantheism destroy his being.  For behaviorists and pantheists human life consists of a succession of sensations inhering in nothing.  Without experiencing sensations, then, man loses his identity, even his existence” (p. 167).

After reading this book, the other recent books on idolatry seem elementary to me.  You might guess the book would be dated since Schlossberg wrote it around 30 years ago, but it is not.  Over and over again as I read it, I was amazed at how his explanations and discussions are completely relevant today.

If you read and study Idols for Destruction, you’ll save time and money: you won’t have to get all the recent books that discuss idolatry.  Granted, Idols for Destruction is a tough read; it is not for everyone.  It’ll take time and energy to work through.  But I guarantee it will be the best book on American idolatry that you’ve ever read. 

shane lems

Sports: Gift or God?

 When I first got this little booklet, Don’t Waste Your Sports, I have to admit I thought it was going to be cheesy.  However, I was pleasantly surprised: it is quite good.  In fact, I highly recommend it for Christians who are involved in sports (parents, high schoolers, fans, coaches, etc.). 

For one example, many of us know the difficulties and discussions of sports and the Christian family.  I don’t want to start a big debate, but it is a tragedy when Christian parents are more concerned about their kid’s jump shot or swing than they are his godliness and Christian character.  It is sad to see some Christian schools more focused on sports than the scriptures.  It is depressing to see some Christian parents cuss out refs for a bad call.  It is a tragedy that sports have become an idol to which many Christians bow.  Here are some questions Mahaney says we should ask to see if sports are idols in our lives.

1) Am I preoccupied with sports?  Are they what I think about and talk about more than anything else?

2) Are sports where my mind goes when I don’t have anything else to think about?

3) Are my most passionate conversations always about sports?

4) Do I have an excessive passion for a particular team?  Am I euphoric when they win, and depressed when they lose? 

5) Is my passion for a team, or for playing a particular sport, greater than my passion for Jesus Christ? For my family? For my church?  When your church gathers, are you there?  Or does the sports schedule trump the church calendar?

Those are some great questions to help in tearing down idols in our lives.  Another aspect I appreciated is how Mahaney encourages parents to commend their children for godly Christian character on the field more than the great play he/she made.  He says it this way.

“Sports are a classroom for our children.  Through sports we can teach our children to grow in godliness on the field.  God has called you and equipped you to transfer biblical principles to your children, and sports are one means to that end.”

I’ll be getting a few extra copies of this little booklet to give out to my Christian friends/family who are interested in sports.  I recommend you do the same!

The above quotes were taken from various places in this little booklet: C. J. Mahaney, Don’t Waste Your Sports (Wheaton: Crossway, 2011).  FYI: It’s just $2.99 at the WTS bookstore.

shane lems

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