Relevance will always be an issue or a question…depending on your side of the fence.

There will be those who say the church has to stay relevant and individual believers must stay relevant. That can lead to all sorts of broad interpretations. So we will hear of pastors who smoke, drink, chew and all sorts of others things in an attempt to stay “relevant.”

There will also be those who question relevance. How up-to-date should a church/individual be? Clothing? Type of worship? Approach during the worship? That too can lead to broad interpretations as we have smoke machines, sometimes music w/ questionable lyrics, guest speakers from heretical groups…all in an effort to stay “contemporary.”

Matt uses the word “contextualization” instead of relevance. His explanation is when you use language of a culture, you are contextualizing. When you deliver age-appropriate messages from the pulpit and the children’s ministry, you are contextualizing. When you wear a suit rather than a tunic, you are contextualizing. His point? Everybody does it.

However, as has often been said, the end does not justify the means. I personally believe this is where we need to “right the ship.” In an effort to be “all things to all men” we have become “nothing to anybody.” I am not saying the church should be stuck in the Dark Ages or Renaissance era. But there has to be a distinction. I do like what Matt does when he shows how it works.

Over-contextualization- affirm too much of the surrounding culture and we lose our distinction.

Under-contextualization- affirm too little of the surrounding culture and we lose our clarity and connection.

Contextualization- contend for both the message and the mission.

As so many have found out, it is a slippery slope, one easy to take a ride on. But also one hard to get off of.

The Jesus-centered church is a church that holds firm to the message of the gospel while strategically affirming cultural practices. They become like the ones they want to reach, but they also hold to the truth, which gives them something with which to reach the culture. (p.209)

How do you see relevance? Does your church do a pretty good job of reaching those around you?