Why the 80s kid is still asking, 'Where's the Beef?'

I am an '80s' kid.  My wife, who is a '90s' kid, loves to remind me of this.  This simply means that I endured my high school years during the decade of the 1980s.  At the time I loved the culture in which I was raised.  Upon reflection, I now view much of it as somewhat sappy, syrupy and highly superficial.  In fact, here is a list of the top 10 songs of the 80s (according to VH1):

1. Bon Jovi / "Livin' on a Prayer" (1986)
2. Def Leppard / "Pour Some Sugar On Me" (1987)
3. Duran Duran / "Hungry Like the Wolf" (1982)
4. Michael Jackson / "Billie Jean" (1982)
5. Prince / "When Doves Cry" (1984)
6. Hall & Oates / "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" (1981)
7. Guns N' Roses / Sweet Child O' Mine (1987)
8. Madonna / "Like a Virgin" (1984)
9. Run-D.M.C. / "Walk This Way" (1986)
10. AC/DC / "You Shook Me All Night Long" (1980)

These song titles alone lend support to my theory.  If, however, you remain unconvinced simply listen to the lyrics.  You will find a mishmash of self absorbed and unintelligibly combined lyrics that defy most rational explanation or understanding (artistic license, I guess).

I must admit, however, that I still love the 80s.  Like it or not, I am  a product of that time and space.  One of my favorite commercials was the Wendy's commercial that popularized the tag line, 'Where's the Beef.'  To my pleasant surprise I recently saw a new version of this commercial.  My kids found it difficult to believe that this new commercial is not new (I contend with them on a regular basis that much of what they see and hear is not new, but a re-make of tired and well worn songs from previous generations).

The thrust behind the 'where's the beef' campaign is to identify the 'real' burger house (in this case Wendy's) and expose the rest as imposter's, majoring in bread and buns - not the beef.  If my memory serves the main character was an elderly woman.  She saunters into a local fast food chain and orders what she expects to be a burger.  Once receiving her 'burger' she notices some unexpected surprises.  Her facial expression captures her shock as she investigates by removing the top (enormous) bun.  In her shock she exclaims, 'Where's the Beef.'  She wanted beef - she received bun.  She desired to be filled, she left empty.  She longed for a restaurant that was 'beef heavy,' she found ones that were 'beef lite.'

Hmm . . .

Sounds somewhat like most modern day church experiences.  In fact, one might invent a campaign (they may already have) called, 'Where's the Gospel?'  It could feature any age person who is hungry for the depth of and trans formative power found in the Gospel of Christ.  The commercial might picture them entering a wonderful church full of energy and life and, of course excitement (a must for some reason).  With great expectation they sit through a whole service (condensed into 20 seconds to save on the advertising expense) hoping to encounter the power of the Gospel only to receive the musings of man.  In response they exclaim, 'Where's the Gospel?'  They leave empty.  They longed for a Gospel heavy experience and received, at best, a Gospel lite experience.

Statistics indicate that folks are leaving the church in record numbers (the numbers are staggering and will be noted in a future blog).  There is considerable debate around 'why' folks are leaving, but we can be certain of this: It's not that we are no longer hungry.  No, we still hunger.  We are a people who hunger and desire - we thirst for that which is true, powerful and life altering.  We take this hunger to the local church, expecting to be filled with the Gospel.  We receive instead, sugar water packaged in half backed, self-help messages.  We receive instead music that could be sung to a girl friend or boy friend as oppossed to the God of the universe (test this one the next time you sing a chorus in church).  We receive instead trendy applications somewhat disconnected from the real world in which we live.   Ultimately this will never satisfy.  This will, indeed, always leave us wanting and searching (at best), wondering and confused (at worst). 

Perhaps you have experienced this.  Perhaps you are one of those millions who have left the church; reluctantly so.  There is possibly a part of you that terribly misses the church experience, yet there is a bigger part of you - a louder part - that says, 'no, she can no longer be trusted ~ she indeed has become Gospel lite.'  You muse to yourself that you can get much of what the church now offers from the world in which you live.  Therefore it is simply easier to stay home and seek fulfillment elsewhere.

As Pillar Community Church approaches our first full year of ministry and stares headlong into year two and beyond, I am going to launch a series of blogs that explore how the Gospel is central to our local mission and crucial for the global mission of God's people.  I invite your responses and replies.  I encourage discussion and disagreement (just be nice).  My hope and belief is that Pillar Community Church will center ourselves on the full expression of the Gospel as fully recorded in God's Word, preached by Christ and handed down by the historic church. 

Join me on this journey toward the Gospel . . . for the good of the community and the glory of God!

Pursuing Gospel Shaped Desire

Biz!