“My church is great…the pastor makes Scripture so relevant!”
How many times have you heard someone utter this phrase? How many times have you said it yourself? I’m certain that I have said it on more than one occasion. I am not convinced, however, that “making Scripture relevant” is a good thing. Here are some thoughts and questions (many of which are admittedly loaded) that came to my mind as I considered this issue:
- How does one go about making Scripture “relevant?”
- If one has the ability to “make Scripture relevant,” does this imply that it is not relevant on its own?
- Is Scripture missing something?
- Is Scripture out-of-date?
- Making Scripture relevant…why didn’t God think of that?
- Does one’s culture affect the relevancy of Scripture?
- What is revealed about me and my heart if I believe Scripture to be less-than-relevant?
- Perhaps we could use “relevant” and “man-centered” interchangeably?
- What’s in it for ME? How does this affect ME? How can this help ME? ME, ME ME!
- The Gospel is always relevant…always.
- A pastor wearing flip-flop sandals does not a relevant sermon make.
- Any pastor capable of improving upon Scripture and making the inspired Word of God “relevant,” deserves a raise.
- A dangerous question: “What does this passage of Scripture mean to you?”
- One should not study Scripture with the Bible in one hand and a newspaper in the other.
- Emergent Church anyone?
- In order that a passage of Scripture be relevant, is it necessary that I am able to “apply it to my life?”
- I have a problem…would you mind pointing me to a verse that will solve that problem?
- Some important questions, answered by Scripture, that aren’t particularly “relevant”: Who is God? What is the nature of God? Who is Jesus? Who am I in Christ?
- What could be more “relevant” than my Maker, my God, my Savior, my Lord, my Redeemer, my King, revealing himself to me?
Agree? Disagree? Tell me what you think. Am I being too critical? Was this blog post relevant enough for you? 
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Tags: Christianity in America, culture, emergent, Gospel, relevant
