Sunday morning worship in the urban church: How far is too far? How can we present the gospel in a modern, relevant way that doesn’t water down—or drown out—the timeless message of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior?
There should be no debate about whether to include in corporate worship those elements that can reach urban youth ministries and young adults. The debate is over which elements.
At the Sanctuary Covenant Church where I am pastor, we’ve decided to use elements of hip-hop culture.
Some ministries around the country believe this is wrong. Some think that hip-hop culture, and specifically rap music, is of the devil. They consider it an artistic scheme to lead people away from God. While I’m sure there are sincere motives behind this theological position, I believe that it’s based on a limited view of hip-hop culture.
I also think it’s based on a limited understanding of cultural engagement as a theme found both in the Bible and in church history. The apostle Paul is a great model of one who engaged pagan culture for Kingdom purposes, using elements of the very culture he was trying to reach. (See Acts 17, for example.) Also, in church history, we can recall originally pagan holidays, such as Easter, that the church transformed.
A theology of cultural engagement for Kingdom purposes is the on-ramp for using elements of contemporary culture to present the gospel. Hip-hop becomes a multi-ethnic and urban contextualization of this theology.
Graffiti Gospel
Beyond the theological reasons for Hip-Hop Sundays, what really drives me is a passion in my heart and spirit. I’ve witnessed God move in powerful ways within corporate worship using hip-hop. I’ve seen a young, single-parent mother decide to get reconnected with the church. I’ve seen a young man in sagging jeans and a doo-rag give his life to Christ with tears in his eyes.
I’ve also seen what influence hip-hop in church worship can have on a man like Chris Allen (see http://www.inkproof.com/). Chris is a well-established artist whose style is known as graffiti. He had done work with hip-hop performers such as Common and Slum Village and with recording labels such as Def Jam and Rock-a-Fella. When he first visited our church, Chris was a nonbeliever. He had never been to church and had negative feelings toward it. The only reason he came was because a Christian hip-hop artist and minister in our congregation, Stacey Jones, invited him.
Stacey asked him to provide a live-performance visual backdrop during our very first Hip-Hop Sunday worship experience. He was hesitant at first. But after participating in three of our Hip-Hop Sundays and through his close relationship with Stacey, Chris became a Christian. Watching Chris Allen’s journey connected me closer to how God works in culture to proclaim His Kingdom and save the lost.
Rethinking Worship
Through Hip-Hop Sundays I’ve seen young people dance, rap, sing, and read original poetry. I’ve witnessed their joys, dreams, pain, and fears. This has ministered to me and other adults. We’ve had to rethink worship and the place youth have in the Christ-centered community, which is the church.
I’m sure this story won’t convince everyone in the urban church to start developing Hip-Hop Sundays, but I hope it convinces some. Urban youth ministry should not just take place in the church basement or be hidden away in its Sunday School rooms. It should happen on Sunday morning within the experience of corporate worship.
Sunday morning in the urban church is a place of transformation, liberation, leadership development, and community organizing. It ought to be this for youth and young adults as well.
Efrem Smith is the senior pastor of The Sanctuary Covenant Church (sanctuarycovenant.org) and the founder of Unity Storehouse Ministries (unitystorehouse.com). He is the author of Raising Up Young Heroes and The Hip Hop Church (with Phil Jackson). He also hosts the radio show “Time for Reconciliation.”
