over-bearing or faint-hearted in the faith

I'm now down at my in-laws outside Crossville, Tennessee. This is my perfect retreat center. They live up on the Cumberland Plateau at over 2000 feet. (I lived down here for 5 years in the 80's. Was terrified as a Yankee moving to the South. Fell in love with this whole area and its people...especially my wife, Martha.) They are on a small lake with trees of great shade, a pontoon boat, a 2 seater paddle boat, a dock from which to sit and ponder and read, and a screened in patio from which to swing, sit, ponder and read. Plus my mother-in-law always has food on the table...and my father in-law has the tv on to sports...after he has finished a project or two around the property each day. Plus, he works part time at a local funeral home...at age 80.

Anyway, last night my father-in-law and I went to a concert/revival at a local Baptist church which featured a "good ole Southern Gospel singing quartet" The Monuments. The tenor is his nephew's son. I loved the music. A lot of country rock. My experience and understanding of the transforming and saving grace of Jesus Christ was different, apparently, from much of their's because the lyrics and then the preaching of the blood of Jesus by the lead singer was not the Jesus I have come to know by the Holy Spirit. But the church was packed and rocking, and amening. The offering plates were full. People were enjoying themselves. They were being "moved." At the altar call, a number went forward. Were lives being changed...reborn from above, which is the closer english translation of being "born again"? Even if I think many of the images and messages were contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ? That's the question we all are facing for each of our church's, and our journey with Christ. Is my claim of truth and experience of God more authoritative or more authentic than your's? But then, how do we avoid just falling into some relativistic stand-off for not wanting to offend the opinions and beliefs of others? That's what happened at my church. We didn't talk about our views of faith in Jesus Christ, even though we shared our views on political and social issues as well as the personalities of people we liked and disliked. I think we were afraid for not having a strong enough understanding of the Christian faith, even as we wanted to claim the title of being a Christian. So which is worse: those who claim it with images and messages that seem to be contrary to the Gospel or those who are afraid to share it because they aren't confident about the Gospel?