When the first pastor took off a suit and decided to preach in jeans with his shirt tails out, he was original. But now that the majority of pastors in America seem to be doing the same thing, it’s not innovative anymore—it’s just following the herd. The same thing is true with the Affliction brand shirts—you know, the shirts with the elaborate crosses, wings, and other embroidery on them. Those were in style for about 12 minutes around 2006. So if you’re still wearing them, it’s time fora visit to Goodwill to make a drop-off.
Attending a pastor’s conference these days is like attending a cloning convention. All the same outfits, from Affliction shirts to jeans to pointy-toed shoes to cool glasses. What does that say about following a God who introduced Himself in the first verse of the Bible as a “Creator”?
The point is, we need to spend less time chasing cool and more time being truly original. Spending too much time chasing “relevance” results in becoming hopelessly irrelevant. Originality isn’t about following the herd; it’s about charting new ground.
There’s plenty more to talk about here—church websites, for one. They’re all starting to look alike as well. Where are the innovators? Where are the truly original thinkers?
In the Middle Ages and Renaissance, the church believed in artistic talent so much they became patrons of the arts. They found the most talented and original artists of their time and funded their best projects. But today we’re satisfied with ripping off popular culture and following the herd.
It’s time to break out. Time to show the culture that Christians are charting a new course. Let me ask you: What kind of impact would it make in the secular culture if we really embraced our God-given creativity?
Phil Cooke is a media consultant focused mainly on the Christian market, as well as a vocal critic of contemporary American and American-influenced Christian culture. Click here to visit his website.
