2009 Book #2: Culture Making

At long last, I've made it through Andy Crouch's book Culture Making. That's not to say it wasn't an engaging collection of words...I just kept getting distracted by other books or pursuits.

Having heard Andy interviewed a couple of times on the Catalyst podcast, and reading smaller recent articles he had publish I found that I was already familiar with much of the content. I think he does make a good contribution here to the way we need to think about culture.

Basically, he suggests that we tend to have a certain posture when it comes to culture (by the way, even defining such a thing as 'culture' is quite a challenge and occupies 2 or 3 chapters). These include: critique, condemnation, copying, and consuming. Each of these responses to culture can limit. He goes on to explain the idea of approaching culture as artists and gardeners. Culture can be created and cultivated...especially effective when collaborating with God and His purposes in the world.

As he concludes the book, he spends some time talking about calling, a concept I've been giving much thought lately. Add to that an emphasis on the need for community (especially a tight group of 3 who share passions, vision, and dreams). Well, let me just quote one of his final paragraphs for an inspirational conclusion to this post:

So do you want to make culture? Find a community, a small group who can lovingly fuel your dreams and puncture your illusions. Find friends and form a family who are willing to see grace at work in one another's lives, who can discern together which gifts and which crosses each has been called to bear. Find people who have a holy respect for power and a holy willingness to spend their power alongside the powerless. Find some partners in the wild and wonderful world beyond church doors. And the, together, make something of the world.