On Sunday we talked about how service was the way of the Lamb, in contrast to the way of the Dragon, which was control and domination through power and strength.

The way of the Dragon is so deeply embedded in human nature that you'll find it anywhere you look:

• road rage,
• competitive sports,
• workplace bullying (my daughter is struggling with that lately--it's very common),
• office politics,
• church politics,
• and even family politics.

A lesson from The Marvelous Mrs Maisel

To turn away from the way of the Dragon requires more than just a disgust with the status quo. In The Marvellous Mrs Maisel, which we watched a clip from on Sunday, Midge is a victim of the male-dominated status quo of the late 50's and early 60's. Rather than turn from the way of the Dragon through which her husband, father, and other men, have oppressed her, she uses her own version of the way of the Dragon to fight back.

Midge uses her caustic wit to excoriate her opponents (mostly men) on stage. This works as standup comedy in her era because of its shock value. But the way of the Dragon is never merely funny: it destroys rather than builds up. Yes, Midge gains some measure of control in her life through her bitter tirades, but every victory comes at a terrible cost of destroyed relationships.

Why didn't Midge (or Lenny) choose the way of the Lamb? The reason is simple: the way of the Lamb is folly to those who don't know Christ. How could submission and weakness solve any problems?

Indeed, without Christ, the way of the Lamb is folly. Only with God's power at work in our lives does the way of the Lamb become a viable way.

Because the way of the Dragon doesn't work, and the way of the Lamb only works with Jesus' presence in our lives, it's pretty clear that there is only one way to find true life: through Jesus!

The idea of "Cultural Engagement" is increasingly important for Christians to grapple with because our culture--our practices, beliefs, and way of life--is increasingly diverging from the culture of the society that we live in.

While it is tempting to simply follow society's cues, we have a higher calling which is powerfully presented in the Bible, God's Word to us. We are called to build our culture on that foundation, not on the shifting sands of our culture's current mores and preferences.

But we must not let that increasing difference alienate us from the surrounding people, and so intentional and intelligent engagement becomes an increasingly important skill and topic to explore.

But the skills of Cultural Engagement do not come naturally, as a glance at discussions online or in the media amply demonstrate. In the first half of 2022 we at Renew dedicated our Tuesday nights to studying how to best engage with people across this widening cultural divide. Here are some more resources on that same issue.

We worked through a course by Professor Darrell Bock, and in this Think Biblically podcast, Scott Rae and Sean McDowell of Biola discuss with Darrell his new book on the topic, Cultural Intelligence. Perhaps the key takeaway of Bock's work is that tone and content are equally important.

If we don't have the right content, we won't communicate anything useful. That's pretty obvious, right? But, equally, if we don't have the right tone, the message won't get through, no matter how eloquent our explanations. Poor tone guarantees that the people we are speaking to will not be our listeners, but rather our ignorers.

Cultural engagement is a complex, subtle skill, needing as much practice, encouragement, and training as possible. Another resource for improving our engagement is The Table podcast. This podcast focuses on "topics related to God, Christianity, and cultural engagement," and is a great listen for those long drives, hanging out the clothes, or whenever you have time with your mind free.

Ephesians 4:1-16 reveals Paul's vision of the church. Check it out, it's fascinating.

Paul segues from unity (grounded in our one saviour) to diversity. For our world, perhaps the most important realisation is that the church can offer both unity and diversity in the one organism. Jesus doesn't make us all clones, rather he gives us different gifts and roles in the church so that we can build one another up into a strong body.

But there's something else fascinating in this passage, too: what it says about the goal of the church. This passage mentions nothing about social justice or transforming society or anything like that. Rather, "we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ." (v. 15)

Certainly, when "each part is working properly," the "body [will] grow so that it builds itself up in love." (v. 16) The church is not a static organism, it is designed to grow. That is achieved by evangelism, sharing the good news of Jesus' death on the cross, which sets us free from sin and death.

But the church is not here on earth for some lesser purpose. If something is not communicating the gospel and drawing people closer to Christ it is not the church's work. We have limited human resources, and so we should make sure that they are directed such that "we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God." (v. 13)

Too often we worry that, unless we engage the surrounding culture in some way that catches their attention, we will not be able to share the good news. Yet Paul's vision of the church in Ephesians makes clear that if we focus on pressing closer to Christ, and equipping and encouraging one another in that endeavour, that will itself engage the surrounding culture.

The role of the church is to be the body of Christ on earth. Let us labour together to get that right and let God give the increase of souls each day. (Acts 2:47)