Wrestling The Way To Hell.

Last night on the ABC evening news the wife and I got to see the funniest thing. Well, it would have been funny if it was only a joke, but it was a real story.

In a story that is worthy of the Abaze! program, we got to see a new way to reach out to the unchurched and seeker audiences. Ultimate Christian Wrestling . That's right, wrestling is the new way to reach out to seekers. Taking their cue from their "secular" cousins these good folks follow story lines that reflect modern morality tales. The various wrestling characters are often tempted to go to the dark side but have to learn and understand their need for salvation and Jesus. The story last night had the wrestlers basically acting out the book of Revelation. This included some being misled to false worship of an anitchrist figure.

Their mission statement states "UCW is an exciting Christian Outreach Ministry that uses Professional Wrestling as a vehicle to minister to the world. UCW is a family oriented company, focused on clean and spiritually educational entertainment. UCW exists to minister the Gospel of Christ to the Lost and to see lost souls saved. UCW is carrying out the Great Commission of our Lord. " I have no doubt that the folks who started this are very well intentioned, really. But why do we as Christians have copy the things of popular culture to reach the unreached?

Now, in fairness, UCW does have a better creedal statement than some churches I've worshiped in. But are the churches, that this entertainment type program goes around to visit, going teach the essential doctrinal truths after the "show" is over. What are the seekers going think when they see a real worship service that doesn't include people getting thrown out of a ring or getting hit over the head with a chair? What will they think when they see the Gospel preached and the sacraments administered? From a secular outsiders point of view the marks of the Church have to look boring since they are not viewed from the eyes of faith.

At the end of the ABC story several people were shown in tears saying the UCW show made them understand their need for Jesus. How about starting with Jesus. Last I checked Saint Paul said he preached Christ crucified not Christ bodyslammed by the masked Satan. I hope that whichever church the event was held at had sense enough to not let people leave without explaining that saving faith is not some kind of show to be turned off when the next latest greatest thing comes along.