"What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun." Ecclesiastes 1:9, ESV
The solution to the problem of reaching the postmodern generation, as it presents itself, is found in the scripture.
Like everything else related to the Christian faith, the Bible holds the key to resolving issues and problems in the church. It is the authoritative, written word of God and as the writer of Ecclesiastes says in the verse I quoted above, "there is nothing new under the sun." So if we've been ineffective at some point in our ministry as a church, the question that we need to ask is whether or not we are doing it by the book. And that might mean that some of the things we are doing, and which have become traditions and habits for us with regard to our church experience, might be where the problem lies.
Self-examination is one of the keys to revitalization, renewal and revival. We covered that several weeks back in 2 Corinthians. But when we self-examine, we need to compare the way we are doing things with the scripture and make certain that the methods with which we have become comfortable, and the traditions which we consider an essential part of the church culture, really are consistent with what the book says about the way we should be doing ministry. We might be surprised.
Several weeks ago, we also looked at the concept of being the church, rather than going to church. The early church would not have understood the church as being something to which they went, but it was the body of which each individual was a vital and essential part. Things which we take for granted, and which generally happen while we sit and watch them take place, were not part of the early church experience. They met in small groups in homes, and when they got together, every member had some leadership role in the service. Rather than listening to a "sermon," or singing hymns or songs with a "song leader" individual members led the singing, some prayed, and several practiced the gift of prophecy, which was more a time when God spoke through his word than it was a prediction of the future. Then what was said was discussed, weighed, sifted and verified by everyone else. The church of today, where we come, sit in a pew, preferably toward the back and away from the action, and listen to other people "up front" lead music and preach, is much different.
And therein, within the model of the early church, lie the steps our church can take to reach the postmodern generation. There is no compromise of scripture, in fact, in order to put ourselves in position to do this, we must go back to the scripture time and time again. And while I don't want to give it all away here, obviously self-examination is one of the first steps.
Let's be clear about our kingdom assignment related to the Great Commission. We know that no one can come to Christ unless they are drawn by the Spirit, and we do not have the power to convert anyone. Only the Holy Spirit can do either one of those things. But Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth, and assures us that he will be with us to the end of the age. So we do not "go" arbitrarily. The Holy Spirit goes with us when we "go!" and the conviction that is necessary to draw people to Christ is right there with us when we lift him up. We also do not have the power to save, but Christ does, and if someone responds as a result of the conviction that has come from the Spirit, which we brought with us when we walked across the room (so to speak) then the Holy Spirit can also do the saving work of conversion.
So what we will discuss Wednesday night will be some of the specific things we can do as a church body to "go" to the people who have moved in around us and continue to do so. Most of them are not part of a church, and they are postmodern thinkers. We can do what God has called us to do, in a way that is culturally relevant so that those who we come in contact with are able to understand our message, and stay completely true to the scripture. In fact, we cannot do this if we do not stay true to the scripture.
So come on Wednesday night with an open mind and an open heart. See you for dinner at 5:30.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
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2 comments:
The postmodern generations of today have shown a real hunger for the relationships that are built in small groups, it is something that has been missing from the culture in which they grew up and it really seems not only to fit a genuine need, but has proven to be far more effective in reaching them than just about anything else. They are not into conformity, and anything that remotely looks like "group think" is rejected. That includes most churches, especially in a city like Houston, where even the smaller ones are 120 to 150 people. That's way too big for most postmoderns to accept.
I've been reading this blog, and your church website, for some time now. As far as the blog goes, keep it up. There aren't a whole lot of people in the church today who even think there is a problem, fewer who have taken steps to increase awareness and take action, and fewer still who have actually done anything about it. Your assessment, that it is more of a spiritual problem than anything else, is right on target. The fact is that the younger people in the postmodern generation see too much hypocrisy in institutional Christianity and they don't want any part of it. A church that wants to reach them must simply be open to being a channel to be used by God and get out of the way and that isn't as comfortable as having nice singing and nice preaching in a regular, weekly service that never changes and never challenges.
As far as the website goes, you might want to find someone who has expertise in media to design something for you that will communicate what you want to say in a way that is effective and attractive. Sorry to say but you don't really have that now.
I'm observing from a distance, so I haven't been in your church services, but as a "postmodern" who came back to church after a 12 year absence, I can tell you that the reason I went back had absolutely nothing to do with anything that the church was doing. I went back because I had an encounter with the Holy Spirit that brought conviction into my life and made me realize I wasn't right with God, and when I got that settled, I started looking for a church that would feed my soul. And it took a while to find one that would do that. Most everyone is caught up in doing what they want, but I finally found a church, a group of 13 people, that was willing to be what God wanted them to be, and not given to meeting social expectations or doing their own thing with their own power.
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