Joshua Benton

Just a follow up to this blog post. Here are two sites that examine geeks in the pew.

www.geeksinthepew.com and http://thechristiannerd.com/

both are good sites about being a geek in the pew.

My first response is AMEN!

My second response is the fact that I've been running into the fact that we have to find that balance to make sure both sides are being fed--the faithful attending and the visitors. I've found this argument not just in the younger generation but in the older generation (70's-80's). Some say we need to change our music to help others feel more welcomed and the other side says we're losing the gospel to emphasize the beat.

How much is this based upon personal preference and truly desiring to worship. You stated this isn't traditional vs contemporary but in the end you state that there is a disconnect between the week and Sunday. Could someone have a true desire to worship with organ and people who play don't want to be payed because this is part of their ministry? Is that wrong?

How can we feed both?

I feel that the multicultural push by the denomination is forced and not truly authentic at times. There are many genuine multicultural churches in our denomination, but without authentically being multicultural, there is a forced almost fake feeling to it. Many times in predominantly white CRCs with limited number of minorities, it feels like they are either token members or the product of white guilt.

Though I strongly believe that many people of the more conservative leaning and Dutch ancestry would be willing to move towards the direction of authentic multiculturalism and the ultimate goal of Christ-like inclusion, many feel that they have not had ample time to truly think it over, discuss it and have their opinions heard. Even if it is not the desire of Synod to go with the desires of these people, to dismiss their opinions out of hand without a proper explanation as to why the denomination is going in the direction they are creates a feeling of superiority on the denominations side.

To be truly inclusive, there needs to be a more balanced authentic multiculturalism which warmly embraces those of the conservative bent Dutch ancestry. To deny the past is to distort the present and to devaluate the future.

Please in the future do not tote how much we are multicultural but instead wave the flag of cooperation allowing all backgrounds and viewpoints to be seen as valid and accepted at Synod. In doing so, those elders might desire to come and feel like they actually matter instead of feeling like they are an inconsequential dying breed.

Don't know the exact link but here's ours from SD

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Corsica-SD/Corsica-CRC-and-Grace-Reformed-Church/154085967954719

Post almost daily. How do you get more people to interact with it? It feels sometimes like a one way conversation