Stunned? Numb? Are you talkin’ to me?

Dan, I am so stunned and numb that I don’t know what to say anymore. We’ve just got driven out of one church because the “worship music” was just so dang horrible that we reached our Popeye Point — “I’ve taken alls I can stands ‘cuz I can’t stands no more.” There was no way to talk to the pastor about the problem, so I had to rustle up a respected elder and give him our “exit interview” in the hopes that perhaps someday something might come out of it.

And you think these pastors are far-sighted enough to do anything about what you deal with here on your blog?

For years now, every pastor I have met has had only one invariant objective: keep the church-factory machine running. Nobody even thinks there’s a larger problem, that the surrounding American Culture has twisted and deformed the Church into something XP never intended.

Go and reference my article on Lunar Skeletons. For Vincent Xavier, down in Murrieta, California, the final solution is all very simple: The church in America will soon, very soon, be mostly killed off, literally, by sword, famine and pestilence. There will hardly be anyone left to watch his soon-to-start television ministry. How’s that for a solution?

WE ARE TO SAY THE WORDS GIVEN
WE ARE NOT TO EVALUATE WHAT WORDS WE THINK WOULD BE BEST

DO NOT WORRY ABOUT A SERMON
LIVE A LIFE OF FOLLOWING THE SPIRIT

DO NOT WORRY ABOUT THE SERVICE
GO OUT AND LIVE THE LIFE TRUE TO THE WORSHIP OF GOD

THE ONE DAY A WEEK IS OF LESS IMPORTANCE
THAN THE EVERYDAY LIVED

SAY THE WORD OF GOD TO THE PEW SITTERS ONCE A WEEK
GOD WILL SPEAK
AND THEN GO OUT AND
LOVE GOD AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER
AND GOD WILL SPEAK

That’s what is missing from a lot of preaching today, especially in those churches that have a high regard for the Gospel. It’s far too aimed at the intellect.

I’d need some definition of exactly what “high-concept” means. But… it seems to me you’re conflating sermons that are “seminary” level with those that are gospel-centered. Perhaps you’re just assigning the term “gospel-centered” to sermons from churches that “have a high regard for the Gospel”? Would those be Reform type churches that you have in mind?

In any case, being gospel-centered does not mean ignoring praxis – I’m not sure where you got that idea. It just means that the work and person of Christ is always central/foundational/essential to whatever you’re talking about or whatever text you’re preaching from. Mark Driscoll(regardless of his other faults) and Tim Keller are good examples of this.

And amen that we grow as much in our relationship with others as we do sitting under some guys teaching. IMO, discipleship and mentoring are sorely lacking in churches today. But again, nothing about being “gospel-centered” would contradict that.

I still wonder where all these churches and sermons are that you keep referencing.