The Triumph of Marketing

Christian culture has adapted a new nomenclature to keep up with evolving times, or "being relevant." If a word offends or turns someone off, like any good marketer, we change the name. Just as selling used cars has now become selling "preowned cars,"the savvy church promoter has his own set of buzzwords.

For example: people don't worship in churches; they are now called centers (for that matter, they don't worship either, they have an experience. And Christianity is no longer a religion either: it's now "a relationship," often with an addendum "not about rules." (by the way, if Christianity has no rules, then it's alright to drink and gamble? Well, no, they say, that's not really what we mean). And if it's a relationship instead of a religion, does the First Amendment protection of freedom of religion still apply to Christians? According to the Encarta World English Dictionary, religion is defined as the following:

re·li·gion [ ri líjjən ]   

1. beliefs and worship: people's beliefs and opinions concerning the existence, nature, and worship of a deity or deities, and divine involvement in the universe and human life
2. system: an institutionalized or personal system of beliefs and practices relating to the divine
3. personal beliefs or values: a set of strongly-held beliefs, values, and attitudes that somebody lives by

Synonyms: faith, belief, creed, conviction.

This attitude extends to church design as well. What ever happened to steeples, bells, and stained glass. Modern churches look so homogeneous and  indistinguishable from YMCAs and malls. It's as if we are trying to hide who we are and our heritage. I know people are wary of churches for various reasons, but the attitudes of the worshipers are what counts. Churches are not called churches anymore in some circles; they're now centers, or given one word names, such as "\Mountain," "Ocean." Denominational churches want to hide their identity, too. In selecting a church, it's good to know if it is Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, or Unitarian. Although  you find out quick once you stepped inside, at least it saves time. And what does a nondenominational church stand for?

Dress is another factor. A very casual dress code has come about over the years that it has made the concept of "Sunday best" obsolete. Camouflage, shorts, tee shirts, and yes, ball caps (during the service no less, but more on that later). Women in dresses and white gloves? That's irrelevant. Today everybody dresses for two hours of comfort. Their is arguments whether Paul meant men should not wear coverings in church, or long hair. "Any man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head.... For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God."
(1 Cor. 11:4, 7). However, Paul argued that when in Rome do as the Romans do, too. It is not legalism to follow basic courtesy and manners. Nothing in the Bible states you must stand when you pledge allegiance to the flag, or holds a door open for a lady. I don't believe God wants to micromanage our lives. People who abide rules of common courtesy should not be considered pharisees. 

Sunday used to be a special day, when men dressed in suits, and women their dresses. People who call wearing fine clothes as stumbling blocks are the sometimes the same people who drive expensive SUVs to church, and not think how a poor family would feel when pulled up in the parking lot. Today, grown men dress like teenagers, and women dress like men, and listen to a man in a Hawaiian shirt on a stage. The magic of Sunday morning is now like a day at the mall.