Borrowing from Longinus’ sublimity, I contend that whatever worship is, it is “elevated by style” and it is most effective because of an essence of “simplicity.” This is vogue for the “jazz - people.” Some call them hip – hop, but it is some kind of neo-jazz, a hybrid of post -structuralism and deconstruction, a conversation for another time. For now, I believe that form over function continues to communicate. I also believe that Baptist’ culture does not communicate its theology; and in part, because many have not preached and presented Baptist theology but Baptist culture and that culture once was common social culture in African American ranks; however, that social culture has changed into something other and without Baptists changing with it.
What is more, young African Americans, (18-35), are not doctrinal Christians, a direct result of Baptist’s not teaching biblical doctrine. Instead, they are pragmatic (Obama is pragmatic and tapped into this current need for religion and truth but not necessarily from a definable committed doctrinal sectarian worldview). After the dark night of discrimination and its socio-econcomic, political psychological effects, Young African Americans want what seems to work. They accept what Josiah Royce; the noted Christian pragmatist called the “Absolute Knower,” moreover “an actual infinite mind that encompasses the totality of all actual truths and possible errors.” See, Sources of Religious Insight, The Problem with Christianity and The Hope of the Great Community.
Later and as a more mature figure, Royce, who lost his friend William James and his eldest son Christopher to typhoid nearly at once, needed more than truth; he needed wisdom and understanding of truth. This seems to me, the core of what young African Americans need, they need and want truth beyond contradiction but wisdom and understanding of what otherwise maybe a stale, cold and benign set of facts that are verifiable. They want and need truth that brings life.
They accept that last weeks’ sermon will help them with last weeks’ challenges; but it will not fix all their needs. An effective sermon is not designed to address all of their needs. What is more, they do not necessarily appreciate traditional African American “blues – people” crescendo in a climax of a sermon. For them, a happy sermon ending is not needed if one is not warranted. They do want and need applicable truth or truth claims; they want and need to make sense out of their lives. “Jazz – people” are trying to make sense of the world through new and innovative vibes, rhythms and sounds.
They prefer brief worship services that are impactful. I have tried to persuade our church’s leaders, that a service longer than 75 minutes is too long for this generation; brevity is the genius of sublimity. In addition, most prefer simple worship styles that communicate a theme, a point to be made, for the day.
Dr. Warren Lewis’ Baptist Church culturally has had its memorial. It had a long and meaningful day, but today’s Baptist churches culturally must change. We are driving our young people into less significant churches, who concede doctrine for convenience or ignorance, or both. Some who rightly have interpreted the culture’s form over function willing manipulate the sheep. Therefore, Baptists must preach doctrinally, absolutely must! But with cultural sensitivity and savvy it must teach and preach doctrinally. The best way to do so is narrative- exposition. But it can do so with praise dancers, drummers, trumpeters, violinists, harpists and other instruments that accompany the organs and pianos.
They can preach and teach doctrinally but in shorter burst – worship services with sublime presentations of impactful brevity – form over function. They can focus on large issues like environment, “green is ethical” or women’s rights issues across the world and other impactful scenarios that people need answers. I am not necessarily a critic of my denomination I am critiquing it. I believe that theologically, it is among the strongest in Church history. To remain in that category, it cannot be a cultural phenomenon of the past only; but a viable force theologically well into the future by understanding the differences between culture and theological cardinal principles. Simply make it sublime and brief.
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