THE WORSHIP OF MODERNITY

This is the big thing today in many evangelical-type churches.  If it’s modern, we must have it.  Modern worship services; modern music and bands; modern versions of the Bible; modern church buildings (theatre style but no pulpit – only a platform or stage); modern language; modern presentation technology; modern dress (or undress); everything has to be 'modern.'

Why is this?  Well, modernity is the new god of 21^st century evangelicalism.  Modernity is worshipped in these churches.  So much time and energy and finance are expended in maintaining allegiance to this god.  No amount of money is too much to promote the interests of this god, even if the wherewithal to keep paying to him is not there.  Even if it disrupts the worship service, that’s OK.  Modernity controls what happens in these churches and how. 

The good old hymns are jettisoned in favour of new evangelical ditties.  Charles Wesley is virtually unknown to this generation of young church members.  Mention of Isaac Watts, Philip Doddridge, William Cowper, is a no-no.  They are old fashioned, and not for this modern day church.  Ask them if they know and love the Psalms and Paraphrases, and they hardly know what you are talking about.  For them, the church started when the first Mission Praise book was published.  They are ignorant of history, therefore of God’s greatest historical characters the events that attended them, men who were used mightily by Him in past ages. 

Today, ministers do not even look like ministers; nor do those within the reformation tradition dress like reformed ministers. Everything has gone awry.  And all for the sake on the modern generation.

This generation is simply not taught the great truths held by a past generations of Christians.  Nor do many of them want it.  They have impoverished themselves by ignoring the greatest men who laboured in the best eras of the churches chequered and long history.  They can tell you all about the latest Christian Rock band and its latest release and how well it is doing in the Christian charts; but ask them about John Calvin or Jonathan Edwards or Robert Murray McCheyne or J. C. Ryle or even Dr D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, and they'd look at you as if you had two heads.  

These are not the 'moderns' therefore we want nothing to do with them.  

Modernity Rules! OK?