I just had a meeting with an NCCer who said he refers to me as a liberal arts pastor because of my diversity of interests. I took it as a compliment and it got me thinking.

What does a liberal arts church look like?

I think a liberal arts church is a church that competes for culture as opposed to creating a subculture. A liberal arts church recognizes that all truth is God’s truth. A liberal arts church recognizes that every christian has a God-ordained calling. A liberal arts church understands the times. A liberal arts church lets non-christians belong before they believe. A liberal arts church asks questions instead of just giving answers. A liberal arts church is innovative. A liberal arts church celebrates the artistic impulse. A liberal arts church doesn’t compartmentalize Jesus.

I think pastors and churches need to be more interdisciplinary. That is what a liberal arts degree is all about. That is why I read everything from business to physics to neurology to romance novels. Just kidding on the romance novels. But I think this is a stewardship issue. I believe that Scripture is the inspired word of God, but my appreciation of Scripture is enhanced when I cross-pollinize with other disciplines.

I’ve noticed something interesting in the response to my preaching. Christians love it when I quote Scripture. Non-Christians love it when I quote non-biblical sources like Aristotle or Pascal or Jack Handy In my humble opinion, a good sermon is both/and.

We need to follow the example that Paul set in Athens. He knew Athenian culture. In fact, he quoted one of their philosophers, Epimenides. And he didn’t boycott the Aeropagus. He went toe-to-toe with the best philosophical minds of his day. We need to follow suit.

Random thoughts on a Friday!