Week 2 Wednesday

I thought the thrust of the lecture today was very relevant as we went beyond culture and examined the larger question of how Jesus engaged culture and what that means for us today. Our small group discussion focused on how the church both then and now runs the risk of falling into the traps of commercialization. As we think about how Jesus cleared the temple of the "den of thieves" I reflect on what that might look like in our present day context. Does the installation of restaurants, coffee houses, book stores, and other businesses create a conflict of interests? What about the pastor who engages his audience by telling them to see The Passion or the The Chronicles of Narnia and avoid seeing movies such as The Golden Compass or The Da Vinci Code? Are the latter graven images? Are we looking out for what's best for Christians? Or, are we endorsing products of culture that are strictly for us by us?