At the beginning of each year, we hear the regular conversations around success and doing better and often the hidden “secrets” of navigating the stated goal or purpose. However, what is often offered as profound ends up being nothing more than a shallow platitude. In an age that values the channel of communication more than the content of communication, this is becoming especially evident in our theology.
So, what does a comparison of the profound and the shallow platitude have to do with those of us who are part of the Eastmont family?
Let me begin that answer with a quote from a friend of mine. Chris Matthews is a professor of music and offered a sermon (and sometimes lecture) that contended for one basic Idea. He stated that every time we choose to sing (I told you he’s a music professor) one song in Christian worship, we are choosing not to sing every other song that is available to the church.
Think on that for a moment. If we were able to identify the greatest weakness of most church worship services, would it be style or time or talent, or would it be the absence of theological depth and precision? That principle behind Chris’ thesis rightly applied to corporate worship services can produce a long-term healthy transformative effect. But the idea need not be limited to only music. To be sure, this principle applies to every pursuit and is especially helpful when we are considering our spiritual lives. For example, with regard to the books you read (and yes we should all be reading something), every time you read a book you are choosing not to read every other book available to you. The same applies to movies, TV shows, websites, blogs, and podcasts, to name a few.
Perhaps we all need to start by asking a few questions of ourselves:
- Do I have a biblical theology? (Go to thestateoftheology.com and take a minute to view the results of a 2022 study by Ligonier Ministries and LifeWay Research, and see if your answers to the same questions meet the biblical standard.)
- Are the authors, musicians, actors, etc. that I am learning from faithfully presenting and articulating a biblical theology?
- In light of all the options available to me, will I choose the best and not just the popular?
If you have questions about some of the more popular authors, speakers, and trends influencing professing Christians today, please talk to one of our pastors and we’ll be glad to help you identify and learn from the best.