Who Is Setting Your Table?

Recently I've become very concerned about the influence of the world's culture upon my family, friends and readers of this blog. When I mentioned this in an email to the writers of our ezine by the same name as this Blog, I received a couple responses. One interested me especially. The writer, a pastor, mentioned that he too is concerned. He suggested we view it with the image "Who is setting your table?" In other words, who is providing the spiritual food you and your family are eating day by day? And what's it doing to you and for you? 

This is, of course, an old question, one with which the church has struggled from the beginning. A hundred years ago, in 1913, J. Gresham Machen, Presbyterian professor at Princeton and founder of Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, wrote a very helpful article in the Princeton Theological Review, Vol. 11, "Christianity and Culture."  For the next couple days I'd like to comment on his article. Here is his conclusion.


"The Church is puzzled by the world's indifference.  She is trying to overcome it by adapting her message to the fashions of the day.  But if, instead, before the conflict, she would descend into the secret place of meditation, if by the clear light of the gospel she would seek an answer not merely to the question of the hour but, first of all, to the eternal problems of the spiritual world, then perhaps, by God's grace, through His good Spirit, in His good time, she might issue forth once more with power, and an age of doubt might be followed by the dawn of an era of faith."


We are indeed puzzled by the indifferent world. Why are people not flocking to our churches by the thousands, begging and pleading for us to tell them the secret of eternal life? Why the indifference? 


The way to overcome such indifference seems obvious to many pastors and church leaders. Adapt the message to the fashions of the day. Does that mean we are to adapt the message to the very internet and computer with which these words are being written? And what about video and TV and drama and yes, what I'm particularly interested in, the art of novel writing, as well as all the other arts? 


But I move ahead of Machen and myself. 


Before getting wrapped up in all that, we must take his concluding advice very seriously. Before the conflict, before the battle, before the clash of swords, let us move to the secret place, the hiding place (Psalm 32:7) who is none other than our Lord Himself. There find solace and comfort, forgiveness and mercy for all the failings of the past. He instructs and guides us in the way we should go from here on, whether we are a pastor, parent or a friend in prayer for a beloved one. 


From our Lord seek answers not merely to the questions of the hour, for these come and go. Instead seek answers to the eternal problems of forgiveness, life and salvation. These our Lord supplies in His Word, in the Gospel. Thus armed we will come back with power to address the doubts and confusion that surround us on all sides. Perhaps we shall yet be used by Him to bring faith.