Sky Captain and the Church of Tomorrow

The other day I went to see Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow with a buddy. Movie reviewers are right–Sky Captain looks great, but its plot and characters are weak. The movie is a prime example of style over substance.

That is usually the price a movie pays in an attempt to secure the widest audience. Movies that try to gain huge appeal usually have to play to the lowest common denominator…or try to impress everyone. It is a common strategy these days to impress the senses in such a way that people feel satisfied with mediocre writing.

Many churches take a similar approach. They push style–not always to the exclusion of substance, but often in such a way that it is difficult to do both well. I feel that tension. 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. By far, most of what I hear is advice that will help me have a more polished presentation…a greater style. 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. This is part of the reason churches market. 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. But often the emphasis on polish and presentation undermines the substance of our message.

My fear is that much of the current talk about arts in the church has become subtly tainted by thoughts like these. 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. And if they stick around long enough, they may become Christians…perhaps even mature Christians.

When I read the Gospels, I am confronted with our Lord’s strong calls to discipleship. Jesus’ way of communicating was definitely artful, but it was jam-packed with substance. The substance of his message left little room for pleasantries. Jesus doesn’t play to the lowest common denominator. Nor does he attempt to wow everyone with dazzling special effects (his miracles, though impressive, were definitely not showy). Instead, he often made it difficult for seekers. He challenged people. He asked them to take up crosses and give up their wealth.

In our churches, we need to get back to the substance of our faith–the Gospel of our Crucified Lord. Style serves substance. Let the plot of our faith be more than mediocre.

for further reading . . .

• None Found