The Day Metallica Came to Church
By Jeremy Reynalds, Correspondent for ASSIST News Service
CALGARY (ANS) -- The concept of the Lord speaking through heavy metal is a hard one for many Christians to swallow.
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But that's the contention of a Canadian preacher whose book tying popular culture to the will of God is reportedly drawing attention from Christians worldwide.
According to a story by Bill Kaufmann of the Calgary Sun, John Van Sloten admits, however, the preaching that eventually led to his book, "The Day Metallica Came to Church," cut his Calgary flock's numbers in half.
"They thought I was going too far, throwing out the Bible completely," said Van Sloten, 49, pastor of New Hope Church, to the Calgary Sun.
He added, "In most other denominations, I'd be defrocked."
His congregation fell from 400 to 200 but Van Sloten kept to his sermons that linked the divine to the most unlikely of human experience.
"One of them dealt with God's gift of drink - in a lot of Christian circles that'd never fly," the Calgary Sun reported he said.
In 2004, the Calgary Sun said, Van Sloten told his flock how the heavy metal band Metallica's music embodied God's message of conquering injustice.
The band was playing a concert in Calgary at the time and, fascinated when told of the sermon but unable to attend, had a video crew record it.
Since then, the Calgary Sun said, Van Sloten has compiled his thoughts on pop culture ranging from the Calgary Flames to films like Crash. He has aligned them with Biblical passages into a book that he says has been widely praised.
Clerics from Australia to the UK have been inspired by his insights, the Calgary Sun reported Van Sloten said, which have also resulted in mention on CNN's Belief Blog.
"I've got church leaders from all over North America saying 'this is resonating' - they never really had the theology to back it up," the Calgary Sun reported he said.
Profits from the book, he says, won't go to him but towards the activities of his church, which holds Sunday services at West Hillhurst Community hall, 1940 6 Ave. N.W.
Even so, the former real estate developer said he knows skepticism over his intentions will abound.
"Time will tell if this is a fad or if I'm another huckster," the Calgary Sun reported Van Sloten said.
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Throwing out the Bible completely?
ReplyDeleteThe Word is vital to the Christian life and calling. Where else can the believer turn to know God's love and plan for human salvation? By listening to Metallica? What a joke...
Maybe by listening to Matallicca, some people also then listened to the Word of God. Kinda like Martin Luther writing one of the most beloved hymns in history by using the melody of a common (bar?0 tune of that day.
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