The recent appearance in this area of yet another Elvis impersonator reminded us of a previous posting in relation to this seemingly endless phenomenon. Given its ongoing relevance, we ask your indulgence in again addressing the subject - albeit, this time, on a somewhat broader scale.
Frankly, I have never fully grasped the impelling force - other than, of course, that of a presumably profitable market - behind ongoing endeavors of this nature. Nor is the public's unrelenting obsession with prominent entertainment figures and their lives always clear. Are our own lives so lacking in meaning and objective as to create a need for vicariously experiencing the fulfillment of another's success? Or, might there be a subconscious or subliminal hope that in recreating the persona of another, one might in some way induce a degree of that individual's attainment within one's own sphere of endeavor?
It is unfortunate that something akin to the foregoing is frequently observable within the believing community as well. If, as those in leadership, we can just duplicate another's pulpit mannerisms, speech patterns and delivery techniques or, on a more corporate level, the modes, methodologies and programs of another congregation - might not we ourselves recreate something of their success?
Simply put, it seldom works that way. While not personally involved in the following situations, they are, nonetheless, characteristic of various such efforts with which we have been acquainted. Endeavors of this nature are far from unique.
The church in a neighboring community was limited in size and attendance. Since, at that time, the latest fad in evangelical congregational singing involved "worship team" leadership, the format was adopted despite a notable lack of qualified personnel. The sole result was to deprive the worship service of a capable song leader to whom the congregation could effectively relate and respond.
Another congregation with which we were acquainted was blessed with excellent music and sense of viability. Caught up in the then current vogue of "praise" recordings wherein the presumed leader would loudly call on both choir and assumed congregation for shouts of praise and worship (one frequently suspected such exhortations to have been "dubbed" into the original sound track, but anyway...), the music director of this church decided that such nonetheless represented a needed pattern of expression within its services. The result was a sense of the strained and forced that led only to a noticeable loss of fervor and spontaneity in the congregation's singing.
One final episode that we personally witnessed: A pastor shared with his congregation concerning another church that had recently experienced revival. It had all begun, he related, when a lady had stood during the service and asked to speak. Visibly broken and repentant, she then offered a confession of failure and asked the church's forgiveness. Moved by a spirit of conviction, others then began sharing concerning failures and lapses in their own lives. The repentance was genuine and revival had ensued.
Having shared the foregoing, the pastor then stated that, given their own congregation's need for revival, the regular order of service would now be suspended so that, in consequence of its members now confessing their sins and failures, revival might similarly result. The result, of course, was readily predictable. Personally, I do not recall having ever seen a service-related endeavor fall so flat.
That the apostle Paul exhorted the believer's emulation of himself in terms of character, commitment and doctrinal integrity is, of course, clearly stated (I Cor. 4:17; Gal. 4:12; Phil. 3:17; 4:9; II Thess. 3:7, etc.). At no time, however, did he advocate the recreation of his persona, calling or ministry in the form of "Paul impersonators" as means to serving the Church's ends and interests. To the contrary, "we have gifts that differ, according to the grace given to us" (Rom. 12:6) or, as further developed in I Corinthians 12:7-ll: "To each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit...to each one individually just as [the Spirit] wills."
Simply stated, meaningful growth and renewal ensues as hearts respond to the moving of God's Spirit as opposed to our all-too-common pursuits of manipulative endeavor and humanly devised techniques.
Does God desire "spiritual Elvis" impersonators as means to promoting the Kingdom? We suspect not.
BURL RATZSCH
