Why is it that Christians always seem to reach new levels of lame-ness in their bumper stickers, T-shirts, and mainstream music? Do we really think that by ripping off pop culture we’re somehow being “relevant” to the world around us? I apologize for being cynical, but when I first saw a “Jesus Got ‘R Done” shirt a few years back, I wanted to punch someone in the face. How can we expect to be taken seriously if we’re most well-known for stealing worn-out cliches and making them even more annoying?

Our problem is that we’re simply reacting to culture. Many of us just try to copy it; others of us are fed up and simply abandon it. Yet neither of these approaches is healthy. Instead, Christians should be participating in the creation of culture for the sake of engaging and changing culture. If anything, we should be leading the charge in innovation and creativity, under the conviction that through Jesus, God is reconciling the entire world to himself. Not only can we bring God glory through creating beauty and utilizing our gifts, but we can greatly impact a world which desperately needs the gospel.

Tim Chester (The Crowded House, Sheffield, UK) has recently produced a series of blog posts concerning this very issue which have been quite successful in articulating the Biblical foundations for creating culture and demonstrating how such principles can be put into practice.

Here are links to the posts on his blog, in order:

Covenanted for Culture, Redeemed for Cultural Renewal

The Role of Christian Artists

What is True Art?

Cultural Renewal and Church Planting

I think any Christian—especially those interested in urban ministry, church planting, or the arts—will find these posts very helpful. I have benefited from reading them and recommend that everyone check them out (especially the first one).