Sky Captain and the Church of Tomorrow天空上尉和教会的明天

The other day I went to see Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow with a buddy.其他一天，我去看望天空上尉和明日世界与好友。 Movie reviewers are right– Sky Captain looks great, but its plot and characters are weak.电影评审是正确的天空队长期待的伟大，但其情节与人物非常薄弱。 The movie is a prime example of style over substance.这部电影是一个很好的例子风格的实质。

That is usually the price a movie pays in an attempt to secure the widest audience.这是通常的价格电影自付在试图争取最广泛的观众。 Movies that try to gain huge appeal usually have to play to the lowest common denominator…or try to impress everyone.电影，争取庞大的上诉通常都发挥到最低的共同点… …或尝试每个人都留下深刻的印象。 It is a common strategy these days to impress the senses in such a way that people feel satisfied with mediocre writing.这是一项共同的战略，这些天来，以留下深刻的印象感官的这样一种方式，人们对此感到满意与平庸的书面答复。

Many churches take a similar approach.许多教堂采取了类似的做法。 They push style–not always to the exclusion of substance, but often in such a way that it is difficult to do both well.他们把作风并不总是以排斥物质，但往往在这样一种方式，这是很难做到的都好。 I feel that tension.我觉得紧张。 In all honesty, very little of the church planting advice I’ve received over the past two years has been about the “substance” of faith.在所有诚实，很少教会种植的意见，我已经收到在过去两年已对“物质”的信仰。 By far, most of what I hear is advice that will help me have a more polished presentation…a greater style.到目前为止，大部分我所听到的意见，这将有助于我有一个更抛光演示…更大的作风。 It is assumed that “seekers” are attracted by style–and that if we can get them to stick around for a while they will begin to ingest substance.这是假定“人士”所吸引，作风和，如果我们能够让他们坚持围绕了一会儿，他们将开始摄取的物质。 This is part of the reason churches market.这是部分原因，教会市场。 They spend energy trying to attract people to an aesthetically pleasing environment or to draw them into a novel experience with the hopes that they will stick around long enough to engage in deeper things.他们花能源试图吸引人们到一个美观的环境，或提请他们成为一种新型的经验与希望，他们将坚持围绕足够长进行更深入的东西。 But often the emphasis on polish and presentation undermines the substance of our message.但往往侧重于波兰和演示破坏的实质我们的讯息。

My fear is that much of the current talk about arts in the church has become subtly tainted by thoughts like these.我担心的是，很多目前谈论艺术在教会里，已成为巧妙的污点的想法一样，这些。 It is definitely cooler sounding to affirm the arts than it is to affirm marketing solutions, but often there is a shared underlying theme: if we can create a pleasing or stimulating environment, people may stick around.这是绝对凉冠冕堂皇的肯定比艺术，这是肯定的营销解决方案，但往往有一个共同的主题：如果我们可以创建一个令人高兴的或刺激的环境，人们可能坚持左右。 And if they stick around long enough, they may become Christians…perhaps even mature Christians.如果他们坚持围绕足够长的时间，他们有可能成为基督徒…甚至成熟的基督徒。

When I read the Gospels, I am confronted with our Lord’s strong calls to discipleship.当我看到福音，我面对我们的主的强烈呼声，向门徒。 Jesus’ way of communicating was definitely artful, but it was jam-packed with substance.耶稣的方式沟通是绝对的妙用，但它是果酱包装与实质内容。 The substance of his message left little room for pleasantries.实质的讯息，他离开的空间不大pleasantries 。 Jesus doesn’t play to the lowest common denominator.耶稣没有发挥，以最低的共同标准。 Nor does he attempt to wow everyone with dazzling special effects (his miracles, though impressive, were definitely not showy).也不是他企图哇每个人都与令人眼花缭乱的特别效果（他的奇迹，虽然令人印象深刻，绝对不是华而不实） 。 Instead, he often made it difficult for seekers.相反，他往往难以寻找。 He challenged people.他质疑人。 He asked them to take up crosses and give up their wealth.他询问，他们采取了十字架和放弃他们的财富。

In our churches, we need to get back to the substance of our faith–the Gospel of our Crucified Lord.在我们的教堂，我们需要得到回的实质内容，我们信仰的福音，我们被钉十字架的上帝。 Style serves substance.作风服务的实质内容。 Let the plot of our faith be more than mediocre.让图谋我们的信心较平庸。

for further reading .为进一步读。 . 。 . 。

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