Steve Taylor got it right

It seems that so many churches today will do almost anything to attract people to their church. The church leadership must believe that the Gospel plus some form of entertainment is the only way to pack the pews. They seem not to consider that the Gospel is powerful in itself - powerful enough to convict the sinner and call humanity to repentance. Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart."

Steve Taylor has always been one of my favorite musicians, Christian or otherwise. I believe that a great many of his songs on the church (and the world's occasional impact upon it) are very perceptive. One of my favorite Taylor songs is "This Disco (Used to be a Cute Cathedral)," which seems to speak directly to these types of churches. Here are the lyrics, originally performed on the album On the Fritz.


Sunday needs a pick-me-up?
here's your chance
do you get tired of the same old square dance?
allemande right now
all join hands
do-si-do to the promised boogieland
got no need for altar calls
sold the altar for the mirror balls
do you shuffle? do you twist?
'cause with a hot hits playlist, now we say

chorus 1: This disco used to be a cute cathedral
where the chosen cha-cha every day of the year
this disco used to be a cute cathedral
where we only play the stuff you're wanting to hear

Mickey does the two-step
One, Two, Swing
all the little church mice doing their thing
boppin' in the belltower
rumba to the right
knock, knock
who's there?
get me outta this limelight
so, you want to defect?
officer, what did you expect?
got no rhythm, got no dough
he said, "Listen, Bozo, don't you know"

chorus 2: This disco used to be a cute cathedral
where the chosen cha-cha every day of the week
this disco used to be a cute cathedral
but we got no room if you ain't gonna be chic

Sell your holy habitats
this ship's been deserted by sinking rats
the exclusive place to go
it's where the pious pogo
don't you know

Update: iMonk asks, How far is too far in using creative methods to “reach” people?