When Andy Stanley started Northpoint, Ed Young launched Fellowship, Bill Hybels launched Willow Creek, and Rick Warren launched Saddleback, there was nothing much like what they were doing…it was the “purple cow” of the day and on into the 2000’s. Now, there are hundreds of amazing and innovative worship services all over the nation that resemble and are very effective like the above churches. So, should we begin to look for what makes us stand out as a church once again; that purple cow? People become familiar with these services just like we did in every decade. Seth Godin has some great ideas on this subject and I would like to expound. Personally, I see the unchurched and churched screaming out for more depth in communicating the news of Jesus Christ. Sure, teaching, the talk, and simple communication is a great thing and must be done. No doubt, through the years, we’ve had way too much hollering and screaming, including me, that has not delivered the change effect of relevance and application we hope for as communicators.
I certainly don’t think we need to shy away from rockin’ out of the box worship, but I do see and hear a cry for something with a little more exposition of the scripture coming from the lecturn with relevant application. This takes a very gifted communicator to do this. Exposition alone is a lecture, a seminary class, and can be very boring. But, if you find a gifted architect of the scripture who can take the scalpel of study and break the verse down, mix it with some relevant information, a little inspiration, and personal application, then you’ve got yourself a purple cow in this 2008 day! This culture wants the truth as all cultures have wanted. They have, as someone said at Catalyst this past week, a good crap-sniffer and can tell when it’s posture, politics of denomination, and religion. They want it real!
