MooFest is an annual festival put on by the good folks in the city of Athens to celebrate the historical and economic contributions of the dairy industry. There will be live music, Mayfield Dairy contests, local shopping, and over 200 food and craft vendors. Festivals such as this draw thousands of people. So, is it worth your time? Should you go to something like this as a Christian? Why or why not?
Be A Christian All Day Every Day
Maybe it’s a strange thing to even ask the question if you should go as a Christian. Perhaps that’s never even crossed your mind. However, we must never divorce our faith on Sunday from the rest of the week! Galatians 5:20 says “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” So, we are to live with a God-entranced vision of all things as we go throughout every facet of our days - from the Sunday service, to changing diapers, to shopping for groceries, to working at the office, to going to festivals.
How Should We Relate To Culture?
So, if living for Christ is at the forefront of your mind in deciding to go to a festival, why should you consider going? Perhaps you have some hesitation in jumping into any festival - let alone MooFest. It’s certainly wise to consider the content of an event like this. But how do you determine if it’s ok to go? This question applies to much more than MooFest, so the principles of discernment can be used in many other contexts. Really, what we’re after is considering what the bible has to say about engaging culture. Should we distance ourselves from anything unrelated to the church? Should we create our own counterculture? Should we engage in things in our community? And to what extent? Though we can’t explore all of these things in detail here, I’d like to offer a few principles that can help us get a start.
Start With The Bible’s Teaching
First, we need to start with scripture. God made everything. He is the Creator and originator. He has much to say about how he designed the world and the purposes for which things were created. He has not left us without guidance on how we are to understand the world and how to relate to it. 1 Timothy 3:16-17 reminds us that: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” He has not spoken exhaustively, but he has spoken sufficiently for us to know how to discern appropriate, God-honoring ways to interact with the world around us.
Our Relationship To Created Things
Second, we must remember the things of the earth are not inherently evil. They are made by God and he declared them good. However, the way we relate to the things he created can be good or evil. For instance, food is morally neutral. It can be morally good to eat food to have energy to serve God throughout your day. However, you can also over-indulge in food and it is gluttony! So, the way we engage God’s world makes a massive difference.
Recognize That Culture Is Fallen
Third, we need to recognize that culture is fallen. Culture, in its simplest definition, is what we do with what God has made. Language, food, beverage, art, institutions, festivals are all forms of people interacting with what God has made. Though these things are morally neutral, the world is fallen in sin and mankind is fallen in sin. So, sin impacts our creation and use of these various forms of culture. Needles can be used to save lives or to inject illegal drugs. The needle is morally neutral, but the use of the needle can either bring life or death. The same is true of all aspects of culture. It will always be a mixture of good and bad. So, we need to be able to use discernment to be able to tell the difference between God-honoring and God-dishonoring aspects of culture.
Isolationism Is Not The Goal
Fourth, we as Christians are a part of culture in our locale. Ultimately, the goal of isolating ourselves from every sinner is not possible in this world, nor is it a biblical concept. Look at what Paul says in 1 Cor. 5:
1Co 5:9-11 ESV - 9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people-- 10 not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler--not even to eat with such a one.
What Paul is distinguishing for us is how to relate to someone who bears the name of Christian and yet indulges in a habitual pattern of sin that brings dishonor to God. Paul is calling brothers from a local church to NOT pretend like everything is cool if a dude is sleeping with his father’s wife. Rather, they are to lovingly confront someone who claims to be a brother and is living in blatant, unrepentant sin (Matt. 18). And if this brother insists on living that way, then the members of the church are to distance themselves.
However, notice that Paul distinguishes this from church members interacting with those in the world! To try to isolate yourself from the sexually immoral, greedy, swindler, or idolater would be an impossible task. Paul says you would have to launch into outer space to accomplish that! Isolationism is not the goal of the Christian life.
Think In Terms Of The Great Commission
Fifth, we need to view culture through the lens of the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20). If we are not to be isolationist, then we must be discerning engagers of the world around us. How did the Corinthians become Christians in the first place? In the very next chapter, Paul reminds the Corinthians of where they came from:
1Co 6:9-11 ESV - 9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Paul rubbed shoulders with sinners in public. He was not an isolationist. Rather, he sought opportunities to engage people in the workplace and other facets of Corinthian culture. Paul was a tentmaker. It was here that he connected with a couple of Jewish refugees from Italy, Aquila and Priscilla, that became his partners in ministry (see Acts 18). Doubtless, it was through relationship networks in the everyday spheres of life that led so many Corinthians to place their faith in Christ.
Notice that it does not mention Paul going into the depths of a temple prostitution ring. I trust that it’s clear Paul is using discernment about where he engaged. He was afforded some wonderful relational connections through the common points afforded by God’s grace. He was a trained tentmaker and God gave him good work to do and allowed him contact with unbelievers. The temple prostitutes may have been out of bounds for Paul’s ministry. But, perhaps Priscilla had an appropriate point of contact for which God had positioned her. The point being, we must use discernment about how God has positioned us and wired us. Do not intentionally throw yourself into temptation. Use discernment when engaging culture.
Common Grace At MooFest
So, as we think through how and why we engage culture, I would like to suggest that a festival such as MooFest - though not a church event - offers several good things that I believe God loves. These are areas of what theologians call “common grace.” Sam Storms defines common grace this way: “expressions of the goodness of God, falling short of salvation, which this undeserving and sin-cursed world enjoys at the hand of God; this includes the delay of wrath, the mitigation of our sin-natures, natural events that lead to prosperity, and all gifts that human use and enjoy naturally.” Some areas of “common grace” we are afforded through MooFest would include:
A family-oriented community event
Good food and drinks to enjoy
The joy of music and dance
Enjoyable weather
Economic opportunity for local vendors
Economic stimulation of the local economy
Neutral venue to invite unbelieving friends to
Opportunity to connect with people outside your normal sphere
Celebration of God’s kindness to our community through the dairy industry
An event that unifies people around things that bring life and health, rather than death
Consider Going!
The list could go on! Use discernment in how to relate to music, food, people, and language. Perhaps there will be an opportunity to teach your kids or to reflect in your own heart about the kindness of God’s deliverance from the bondage of sin. However, I would encourage you to consider participating and enjoying the many wonderful gifts an event like this offers.
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