Is it possible for a hip, contemporary styled church to be hip and still present a message that honors Christ and upholds the eternal truth of Scripture? Up until my visit to Sojourn Community Church in Louisville I would have answered that question with a cautious "maybe." But now I can say definitely and enthusiastically yes, it is possible! Sojourn Community Church is not your typical Southern Baptist Church. The first thing I noticed when I drove up to the traditional looking church building was the fact that at 49, I was definitely the oldest guy in the room. I walked through a very interesting and eye catching art gallery into a sanctuary lit primarily by candles augmented by some lighting in the ceiling.
I have always been skeptical of churches that try to be hip. Usually, being hip means worship lite followed by sermon lite. I have had too many experiences (mostly bad) with hip church pastors who are much better at "connecting with the culture" than they are at proclaiming the Word of God. But as the worship leadership team began to sincerely worship God through songs with lyrics taken straight from the pages of the Bible my skepticism melted into a genuine spirit of worship. We alternated between singing and responsive Scripture readings for about 30 minutes. Everyone on the platform looked to range in age from early 20’s to early 30’s. They were neatly dressed in blue jeans and sweatshirts and sweaters.
Daniel, the Teaching Pastor, got up to preach, and I remember thinking something like, "O.K., here we go ... another sermon lite about the need for all of us to fight global warming or the need for us to join hands and sing Kum Ba Yah. But young Daniel read from Matthew 13:47-50 ... you will probably recognize that passage as the parable Jesus told about the kingdom of God being like a fishing net. After reading the passage, Daniel launched into one of the best messages I have ever heard about ... are you ready ... hell.
Yep, you read that right....I was in a hip church reaching mostly 20 and 30 something’s, and I was listening to an expository message about the reality of hell. His outline was:
1. Hell is real.
2. Why does Jesus speak so often about hell?
3. How can I avoid going to hell?
4. How can I be confident that I am not headed for hell?
The invitation was straightforward, clear, and compelling. It wasn’t a "come forward" invitation, but those who perhaps were under conviction were given clear instructions about what to do at the end of the service. After the challenge, we participated in the Lord’s Supper. Again, the method was somewhat unconventional but very meaningful. Believers were invited to come forward to several places in the sanctuary where church members stood offering broken bread and a community cup. As each individual pinched off a piece of the bread and dipped it in the cup, those holding the bread and the cup quietly reminded us we were remembering the broken body and the shed blood of Christ. As I headed back to my seat, I noticed several people who were weeping in prayer. It was an incredibly moving experience.
When the last of the congregation had received the Lord’s Supper, the worship leaders began to lead us again in worship. We shared in some more responsive readings, heard a few announcements, were challenged to worship through our giving and the service was over. As I stood listening to the announcements about how the church was impacting the city of Louisville through a host of ministry projects, I thought about all the criticism I have heard about "these kind of churches." I hung my head when the Lord reminded me that I had participated in such criticism several times.
I walked back through the art gallery, speaking with several of the church members who went out of their way to greet me. They were warm, sincere, and they had the look of people who have been transformed by the living Christ. I am sure there are churches that are trying to hip at the expense of the gospel. Sojourn Community Church has found a way to be hip, holy, and still hold firmly to the Truth.
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Dr. Tony Beam received his Bachelor of Arts Degree at Limestone College, Gaffney, SC, 1980; his Master of Divinity from Southeastern Seminary, Wake Forest, NC., 1990; and his Doctor of Ministry from Southern Seminary, Louisville, KY, 2002. Dr. Beam is currently Director of Christian Worldview Center at North Greenville University. Dr. Beam is Host of Christian World View Today, AM 660 from 7 - 8 a.m., Mon. - Fri.
