Christian Fads - Timely Truth?

As with just about any evolving or progressing mechanism where people are involved there commonly are fads, celebrities, and an assortment of hot ideas.

In the Christian community much of the church of today has greater access to national or international Christian fadish schools of thought such as the Shannon Claiborne movement, the Call to courthsip brought to the forefront by Christian couples such as the Harris' and Ludys, the "emergent" or emerging church and many others.

also many celebrities in the Christian community are much more accessible due to technological progress such as the internet and podcasting. Many of these common Christian celebrities are figures such as Andy Stanley, John piper, Mark Driscoll, Matt Chandler, Erwin McManus, Robe Bell, Brian McLaren and the list goes on and on.

Some of these men are inches away from being heretical and don't base much of their teaching on the Bible while others are extremely Orthodox and have an amazing gift of "rightly dividing" the Scriptures.

I have for a long time criticized myself and others who seem to be looking for the next great Bible teacher to catch their interest. Sometimes I find myself looking for a new guy to say something witty and innovative. Simultaneously, I feel guilty not paying attention to the Biographies and offerings of dead saints who have fought the good fight and share seemingly timeless experiences having a deep root in the scriptures.

I am coming to a point where I am starting to believe their is more of an urgency for a balance not one can be more powerful or meaningful than the other. Culture is changing and we must engage culture and "become all things to all men thatt we may win some". Also, truths are timeless and there is "nothing new under the sun" as Solomon said. Essentially the Body needs both to learn from the old and test, sift through, and listen to new godly men on the seen.

I think the new stuff is simple to "dangerous" in our minds and we are hesitant to follow for fear of being led astray, which appears to be a healthy concern. I certainly think it is.

Yet, we tend to ignore the lives and teaching of old saints and their schools of thought simply because they are well...old. and we associate old with being out of touch and therefore not apllicable to our lives, church, or culture. Such an idea is partially valid in one way but completely wrong in another.

People and things on Earth do develop and we do progress as a culture and people. Yet the issues and problems namely sin that the Bible addresses are essentially the same since the first sin was committed in the garden of eden. Therefore sin has not changed, BUT the ways in which that sin is manifested have in some regards changed therefore our engagement of culture must be timely if we are to relevantly and knowledgeably adress and reveal sin, call others including ourselves to repentance, and love people by extending them the Gospel.

Simply as Mark Driscoll said, yes I do support him, "Our doctrine and the truths we believe about God are timeless and our methods and engagement of culture is timely."

May we learn from timeless doctrine preached by tireless Bible-bleeding old saints and may we wisely embrace young Spirit-filled men to guide us in reaching or culture with timely Biblical truth for the Glory of God.