Whatever Happened to God?
Too much worship is convivial rather than adoring
Donald G. Bloesch | posted 2/05/2001 12:00AM
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Need for discernment
Several decades ago conservatives were celebrating an evangelical renaissance, and evangelicalism on the surface still looks robust as its churches record continued membership gains. Yet numbers can deceive: church attendance in Germany rose dramatically in the years immediately following Hitler's rise to power. I believe that in the present cultural situation, it is more appropriate to speak of the evangelical debacle, a compromised church that rests no longer on the clear message of Scripture but on the carnal desire for a place in the sun.
We need revival today, but we also need reformation—a fundamental change in our priorities and attitudes. We must see ourselves as emissaries of the high and holy God entrusted with the gospel of reconciliation and redemption, sent into the world in order to bring the world into submission to the will of the living God.
Amid the growing shadow over the church of our time, there are nevertheless signs of hope. The Spirit of God is indeed moving in some of the new ventures in evangelism and discipleship, but evil spirits are also at work. It is incumbent on us to pray for the gift of discerning spirits so that we can separate what is true and abiding from what is false and ephemeral.
Donald G. Bloesch is emeritus professor of theology at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary and author of The Holy Spirit: Works & Gifts (InterVarsity, 2000).
Copyright © 2001 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.
Related Elsewhere
Visit Christianity Today's Worship area for more articles about praise and worship.
Mark Noll's "We Are What We Sing | Our classic hymns reveal evangelicalism at its best" and Michael S. Hamilton's "The Triumph of the Praise Songs | How guitars beat out the organ in the worship wars" (both from our July 12, 1999 issue) offer historical perspectives on the worship tensions. Other stories from that issue include:
The Profits of Praise |The praise and worship music industry has changed the way the church sings.(July 12, 1999)
What Makes Music "Christian"? | One CCM veteran thinks it means more than mentioning Jesus. (July 12, 1999)
A hunger for more mystery and classicism is sending many evangelicals back to the works of Bach, this story tells us.
Donald G. Bloesch's Web site has links to some of his essays, books, and pictures of his family.
Bloesch is the emeritus professor of theology at Dubuque Theological Seminary.
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