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T.S. Eliot believed that one factor contributing to the decay of the Christian community was the idea that mass movements superseded the parish life and its own creativity. This is certainly true today. For the following reasons: 1/x
1. Ask someone who their favorite preacher is, and they will speak of sole podcast they listen to, not their parish preaching rotation.
2. Ask them for their favorite worship leader, and again, it’s someone famous whose music transcends the locality that produced it. 2/x
2. Ask them for their favorite worship leader, and again, it’s someone famous whose music transcends the locality that produced it. 2/x
3. As a result, expectations of Christian community are both incredibly high while actual Christian practice is incredibly low.
4. The local pastor has to compete not with fellow clergy, but with John Piper, Matt Chandler, and other famous preachers. 3/x
4. The local pastor has to compete not with fellow clergy, but with John Piper, Matt Chandler, and other famous preachers. 3/x
5. Churches in the third world now look to us, not as examples of Christian community, but as examples of Christian consumerism. 4/x
6. I’ve often see it happen in worship, where people suddenly lift their hands to a song being sung, not necessarily b/c the Sprit is moving, but because they’ve heard it on the radio and already made an ex-carnate connection outside of their community. 5/x
7. We should be grateful for these movements. They continue to give life to our communities and provide a template for what it means to be in community, perhaps. But they should not be the only outlet for a community to thrive or even discover its God-given identity. 6/x
8. The parish organist or worship pastor may not be as “cool” as the famous worship leader, but I’m sure given time with the famous person, one may develop similar struggles with their personalities and pet peeves. The organist/worship pastor is in a community of difference. 7/x
9. Learning to live with difference is the most beautiful work of art that the Christian community produces. Famous Christianity induces sameness, NOT diversity. 8/x
