Sunday at Willow Creek
Four Responses
In the previous issue (Winter 1995) of Touchstone , we published G. A. Pritchard's “Artful Evangelism,” which assessed the “strengths and weaknesses in the use of the arts at Willow Creek Community Church.” Because of both the high visibility of Willow Creek and the high level of debate its Sunday programing has engendered, we felt our readers would be interested in the responses of our editor and associate editors to Pritchard's article. What follows are not critiques of the article per se, but some of the various responses, questions, observations, and ideas that came to mind after reading it. (Ed.)
S. M. Hutchens
On one hand, God has made the Church as he has made human beings, so that some of the most delirious pleasures come with the use of its organs of generation. Young, vigorous churches whose overflowing energies are directed mostly toward reproductive ends should not be blamed for reveling in the joys of their youth, nor should one be surprised if their curious ecstasies result in the bearing of many children. One sometimes senses the envy of the impotent and barren in criticism of such churches.
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S. M. Hutchens is a senior editor and longtime writer for Touchstone.
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