Conundrum

What is a Conundrum? Life is full of them, as we all know, and it turns out I've probably used this word correctly, but I've never seen it defined until now.
My thesaurus defines it as a riddle or a puzzling question.

The way words are used (and miss-used) in our American Culture for example,are sometimes puzzling, and even aggravating, especially when they are changed in meaning almost overnight. The word GAY would be a prime example. Literature of the 19th century used that word liberally to describe people having a good time, often in a party setting. Now, virtually the only time it is used is to refer to a person of an "alternate lifestyle."

There was a time in the American culture when a great deal of learning in elementary schools was associated with the Bible,with godly virtues, and character building stories woven into reading books. Even the word "sin" could be found from time to time, perhaps more often than we find it in Christian literature now.

Other words are also seldom in use now, like the word "modesty." Now that's one for you! Haven't the goal posts been pulled together on that one?! Undoubtedly the "sexual revolution" had something to do with it. Just take for example the
de-volution of swimwear. I remember chuckling at pictures of people in my grandparents' era wading in the surf, covered virtually head to toe in black outfits. Two-piece bathing suits for women were introduced during my mother's generation. My Christian mother however, thought it would be immodest for her to wear one. And now, it is not at all uncommon to see professing Christian young women wearing bikinis!

The two words in the English language that go together like "meat and potatoes" are "cultural standards." Can anyone argue that cultural standards have plummeted in the last 40 years? Is it not apparant that this plunge has also affected the Evangelical Church? When I was a teenager, Christian musical groups were well groomed and wore their "Sunday Best"(What's that?) for their concerts,and were satisfied with free will offerings. Today,Christian music is big show business in large venues. Often the "stars" look (and often sound in my opinion) like they just got out of bed and couldn't find a comb. (Well, that wouldn't work on spiked hair anyway, I guess.) This is the kind of EXCITING ENTERTAINMENT the kids NEED these days,to keep their interest,we are told. If we could keep that much- talked- about 60-70 percent we're losing by providing this kind of fare in the church, what would we really be accomplishing beyond entertainment?

Now I've quit preaching and "gone to meddling" I'm afraid. But I' ve been in a "conundrum" as to how to communicate these things to my younger Christian friends
and even to my contemporaries in the Church who see these things also, but have given up "bucking the tide." "Dressing down" have you noticed, has definitely caught on in the church by the way,so that "Sunday best" is almost entirely in moth balls.

Some of my readers (if there actually are any) may think that I have too much time to think, now that I'm retired. Well, no, I've been observing and pondering these things for years, and sometimes I think I'm going to explode! No,I'm just finally emerging out of my "conumdrum" to put my thoughts in print for the occasional person who may care to read them, and either resonate or debate with me. Seriously, I think the Church is in trouble. We give lipservice to the possibility that we are in the very Last Days but we're too distracted to focus on what the Bible is really saying about being salt and light in the culture, and "teaching and admonishing one another" about the "Face" we put on the Church as we see "the Day approaching." There is one old addage we used to hear a lot, which never was entirely true:"You can't judge a book by it's cover." Any publisher will tell you that a lot of thought, care and design is involved in book covers to help SELL the books. My next blog will concern itself with the "content" of our faith which is revealed (or not) before the world that "reads" us. Look for "BETWEEN THE COVERS."

For an ongoing commentary on Christians and Culture, you might like to check out some commentary by Googling Viewpoint by T.M. Moore.