While driving in my car this morning, I listened to the audio version of the above video. In it, David Byrne highlights how different styles of music are better suited for different rooms. Symphonies don't play in bars, bass-heavy rap works best in subwoofered cars, Gregorian chants need echoey cathedrals, and today's rock & pop are designed for personal MP3 players. The context of the musical venue affects the music itself.
With my head swirling with prayers about planting a church to help non-church people go deeper in a spiritual journey with Jesus, I couldn't help think that some of the same principles of music apply to the church. The context affects the local church. A Crystal Cathedral probably wouldn't survive in Farragut, Iowa. A small traditional country-style church probably isn't going to effectively reach young adults in Des Moines. An Elevation Church probably wouldn't fly in a retirement community. And yet each can be effective in the proper contexts.
I've heard several sources over the past couple years that talk about how followers of Jesus need to not only be able to effectively interpret the Scriptures, but we also need to be able to effectively interpret the culture. (Here's one article on the subject, and here's a book on it as well.) If this is true, this means asking: what is the context we are in?
That's why I don't want to just plant a church that copies the model of another church. (In other words, I don't want to just be a cover band.) Most of the "famous" churches around the world are making beautiful music in their venue. But I want to understand better the Iowa venue and the context of this state, and figure out how we can help those who won't go to the venues that already exist, and play "music" that might help them hear about Jesus more clearly.
And now I think I will go to iTunes and find some music appropriate for the venue of the office I'm sitting in...
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