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Still, that seems to be what the masses want from their preacher. Too many people want a dynamic presenter who brings a fresh message from Scripture.
I'd much rather have a conformist in that arena, thank-you very much.
How exciting life is, knowing that our God provided healthy outlets for both conformity and creativity.
In fact, I find your ideas very persuasive&mdash a good addition to the conversation!
Up with conformity! Up with conformity!
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Yup. Confirmed. I'm the non-conformist.
I say, simply be yourself. But be yourself in community with others. Through living, books, etc. Then, I think there might be a good blend between conformity and creativity.
I agree that community is so important. Healthy community encourages creativity but also provides stability. So then I wonder what makes a community turn sour?
I'm thinking of the wonderful churches that became stale and tired. Or the wonderful marriages that became hostile and full of resentment. I always assume such communities began in love, with high hopes.
Is it really just a matter of remembering to respect each other? Then why do we forget?
And I fully admit that this is a ridiculous number of questions for a comment.
Conformity to absolutes, or even culturally agreed upon principles that last more than a season, seem to generally be more palatable.
And yet, the test of time is not the only test for standards to which we should conform. We always hope there are nonconformists in societies ruled by oppressive regimes, in societies who agree upon mistreating a segment of the population, etc.
Not sure where this is going, just more thoughts . . .
When I buck the system, am I a non-conformist resisting oppression? Or am I just rationalizing to justify my personal preferences?
I like what Richard Foster said along these lines. He advises people to read at least one "classic" time-tested book for every recently published book. By recent, he meant within the last twenty-five years.
It is important to stay culturally relevant, sure. But those truths that continue to speak across the generations are going to have a special kind of wisdom.
This is why I am so surprised by how anti-catholic some protestants can be. They are quick to forget that the first fifteen hundred years of church history are "catholic." If that institution has remained for so long, chances are likely that it has some real wisdom to offer.
I'm enjoying this discussion because, as an artist, I delight in creativity, but REVEL in the challenge of creating within parameters. (Conforming to at least a few rules or boundaries.)
For instance, once an artist chooses a media in which to work, they are limited by what the media can and can't do. Oil paints will never operate the same way that graphite does. That's the beauty of the variety of media. And that is just a rule of nature to which we must all conform, like it or not.
The challenge is to make the oil paints stretch to do something different from the what we normally see them do- something that is within their capabilities, but something with a fresh twist or a new variation on the theme.
An artist that successfully challenges the media, while at the same time allowing the media to challenge him, is a quality artist, in my book.
I see this in my kids too, when it comes to housecleaning. The end goal may be "clean the mirror," but the route they choose to get there is completely different each and every time. One day they're hosting a TV show about how to clean mirrors properly, the next day they're a band of cleaning fairies scrubbing away while the rest of us slumber, and the next day they're Cinderella slaving away to make it to the ball in time. The goal as accomplished (conform to mom's standard of clean mirrors), but the methods chosen are left up to the creativity of the individual.
There are some rules to which we all conform, no matter how it chafes- gravity, sin nature, etc.
This is a very interesting reflection. We are too enamored with novelty in our culture, and, as you note, it more-often-than-not doesn't stand the test of time. Reminds me of Thomas Merton's determination, toward the end of his life, to quit reading the daily paper; he thought it co-opted his energy for the eternal. Reminds me too of St. Paul's sad observation of the philosophers at the Aereopagus: "they could only talk about something new."
Thank you also for your kind words concerning my piece on thehighcalling. Let me fess up and admit that I prompted a couple of the respondents to read and reply, but I too was pleasantly surprised to see the brisk activity there.
Charlie
And the real success, you know? Because if I can remember to view everything this way, then my life and my work and my family no longer control me in a bad way. Instead, I embrace the standard and put the burden on myself to find the joy in each gift that has been given to me.
Charlie, great comments. The Greek marketplace is an interesting example. And yet, if he wasn't open to new ideas, then Dionysius couldn't have been converted.
That kind of thinking reminds me how important it is that we remember to value paradox. God's truth is bigger than freedom and it's bigger than slavery. It's bigger than structure and it's bigger than creativity.
Wow, that's a cool thought. God's truth is bigger than creativity.
And as for your confession. Man, I'm a blogger. I know how these things work! But believe me, just because you ask doesn't mean they come and comment. In fact, often it doesn't mean they'll come at all. A lot of bloggers try to direct traffic, but only the good ones can actually get the traffic to move the direction they suggest.