Levi’s Baptism
September 16, 2003
I was just browsing through some blogs today and ran across this discussion about a Levi’s ad, which depicted a woman emerging from the sea, with newly recut original Levi’s jeans with the slogan “Born Again” - at Rachel’s blog. Interesting discussion about Christians and their response to certain things in culture. If you would like to see the ad, you can see it here.
I totally agree with Steve’s rant. This could be the perfect gateway into a discussion with someone about spiritual things. And yet, because of some Christians’ obsession with the idea that “all things secular are evil” - we’ve lost, what Steve called (for more of his stuff, go here) - the “hooks” that connect our culture with Christianity. Have we done this? Have we been so afraid of the secular that we’ve lost many good opportunities to share with people. I think we have.
If God created all (and I believe that he did), then the fingerprint of God can be found in all things (beauty, nature, music, weather, Marilyn Manson). In some things/people/ideas, God’s fingerprint is a little harder to find - but there is some good in everything. As Christians, instead of dismissing everything that is “non-Christian” or “secular” as no good, evil, not worth our time - we need to be looking for God, looking for the sacred in the secular.
I am preaching here in Wendell on October 19th, and I think I am going to use Dick Staub’s book Too Christian - Too Pagan, as the springboard for a discussion on the Christian subculture/ghetto we all too often find ourselves in. Staub writes in his book:
“If you truly follow Jesus by engaging both your faith and the world, you will likely end up seeming too Christian for many of your pagan friends, and too pagan for many of your Christian friends. When you truly follow Jesus, you’ll spend considerable time and energy in the world like he did, and as a result, many of your religious friends will think you’re too irreligious. On the other hand, many of your irreligious friends will find it odd that you are so focused on the spiritual. Thus, you end up seeming both too Christian and too pagan.”
Mars Hill Graduate School is a graduate school in Seattle. It is one of the schools I am considering for a seminary education. I think they have a biblical approach to today’s culture and how we as followers of Christ should seek to engage with it:
Our vision is to train men and women to engage culture. Every culture attempts to flee God and yet find life in its own gods. Every culture reflects both the glory of creation and the depravity of the fall. We believe a person or community can never receive a hearing, nor offer the gospel, unless it incarnates the gospel through joyful participation in a culture’s glory and honest engagement in its darkness. We wish to develop lovers of language, story, drama, film, music, dance, architecture, and art in order to deepen our love of life and the God of all creativity. The result will be a greater desire to know the human heart, the word of God, and the coming and already present Kingdom of God.
It’s definitely an interesting discussion: church & culture. Thoughts?
Tags: Advertising, Baptism, Culture, Levis
Posted in Theology
Adam Walker Cleaveland: 
September 17th, 2003 at 2:16 am
Wow! Awesome post, Adam!
Lots of folks today are emphasing that the “sacred-secular” distinction doesn’t exist — all of life is sacred. I see a lot of truth in that. On the otherhand though, I also believe that not everything is holy (i.e. set apart) — there’s meant to be something mysterious and awe-provoking about it. In this sense, there remains a distinction between what is sacred and what is not (we may want to drop the term “secular”, I don’t know). I like the notion that you suggested — that we need to look for the sacred within the secular — need to look for the handprint of God — in people (probably especially), but also in creation, in experiences, etc. The “too Christian, too pagan” phenomenon will be a cool approach to take when you teach. Be sure you blog about how it goes, okay?
The Levi commercial graphically underscores what we already know about contemporary American culture –it’s more “spiritual” than it has ever been in our history. Many, dissatisfied with the institutional church, look for other ways to express and explore that spirituality. They can’t help themselves! It’s breaking out all over! What an incredible time we’re living in!
September 17th, 2003 at 5:23 pm
Adam: Just checking in. I wonder if there is such a thing as secular. I think it may be a false dualism–this Christian and Secular business. One of my fellow seminarians argued that last year in a paper re: church and state.
At any rate, you may want to engage what I have to say about the Old Testament given you last saw it as less important than the NT.
T
September 18th, 2003 at 6:23 am
glad you liked my post at http://www.graceway.org.nz/stevedownunder.php re the levi ad. I’ve had some pretty snide comments, so nice to have a few positives.
Peace
steve
September 20th, 2003 at 5:07 pm
This subject always reminds me of Barth’s concept of holding the Bible in one hand, and the newspaper in the other, helping each other to understand the events of the day. In Scripture we see the ideal reality, in the newspaper, we see the “reality” of the day. God’s initiation and his Word is always primary, and through it we are better able to understand what we see today. At least, I, with Barth, find this to be true.
Does this even apply here?
I always feel stupid writing on these blog things…Adam. For you, I’ll do it, at least this time.