Hollywood's film makers transport us to a false reality and mesmerize our senses in such a way that the normalcy of everyday life becomes boring and mundane.
Q: What happens when people are too hyper exposed to Sci-Fi and false reality?
A: They seek escapism to find relief from the pressures of everyday life by stimulating their senses with another movie or experience that will transport them to a place where they can forget about their problems and pressures, at least for a little while.
This type of "stimulating escapism" even creeps into the church. People, believers and non-believers alike, come to our services with unfair comparisons to what they're bering offered mentally, emotionally and visually by the world and then expect the church to deliver a mesmerizing experience that will appeal to their flesh driven appetite so that their senses are satisfied and utopia is achieved...even if only for an hour.
Therefore, the church finds itself competing with the world's marketing gurus to develop gimmicks, teasers and full blown campaigns just to appeal to people who should already have a settled sense of biblical contentment in their soul.
It's a sad day when the church has to "sell the saints" through marketing and events just to get them to show up to church and be who they confessed at the cross they'd voluntarily be.
Perhaps a desensitizing spirit has gripped the church to the point that we are no longer content with just the basics.
I remember growing up in a church that lacked the sounds, sights, lights, technology and efficiency that we have available to us today. Yet, because of the hearty desire we possessed for an authentic moment in Jesus' presence, we were undeterred or hindered by the lack of polish, performance or professionalism in our organic environment. A hymnal, piano, window air conditioner and radio shack microphone was more than sufficient to aid us in our quest for God's presence.
I am an advocate for excellence, technology and forward thinking. However, let us never become desensitized to the authentic, raw, simplicity of simply standing in serene silence...without the aid of anything electronic to usher us into God's presence.
Let us never forget the power of the CROSS, the BLOOD that was shed or the magnitude of GRACE and MERCY. Let it be enough to satisfy our senses without the aid of haze, lights, timed intros, outros or seamless transitions. Let our craving for more of His presence captivate our senses with utter satisfaction "till the things of this world grow strangely dim in the light of His glory & grace."
Longing for the less is more,
@RussellHylton
