A Tragedy in the American Church

This summer, after much long-suffering I am finally able to indulge my new rock climbing habit by buying a membership at the local rock gym in hopes to better prepare myself for the real rock that is found all over the Texas hill country. While enjoying by Friday night climb, I came across something that tested my gag reflex as nothing has before. It wasn't someone breaking there tibula from a twenty foot fall or a difficult hold ripping an old callous off one of my chalked up fingers. What I saw was a flyer advertising a "Christian" event at the local water park. Not only is there going to be a $1000 prize giveaway this July 29, there will also be a battle of the bands "worship band" competition.

Fortunately, no one heard me wretching.

From a Christ-centered perspective, how do we justify making worship a competition? We can't. It's not about who is better at singing "Praise Adoni." Jesus criticized the Pharisees for such things. They were concerned only about the show of prayer, the show of tithing money. The pharisees were not concerned about God, but about what other men thought of them.
If we try to identify ourselves as the "best singer," "best writer," or best anything else, our lives will be a failure, for there will always be someone greater. I doubt that I will ever attain the status of any of the apostles, but I can't be concerned with my reputation or image. My main concern most be Christ, because in the end it is only Him who will be glorified.

I fear that we are so concerned with relating to the current generation that we will sacrifice anything -- even a clear presentation of the gospel. Our hunger for "coolness" is going to hinder the very work that God sent us here to do.