Every decade has a new approach to church. There are name changes and new delivery systems that upset previous generations. The latest is the debate over a term called “the emerging church” [there is no really good definition of this term – suffice to say it is a younger generation attempting to deal with a church that seems to have gone stale!].
We tend to think this new approach has to be a confrontation, a war of the generations! But I ask – “Why are old people (the 60/70’s generation people) helping to lead this new approach?” Because they still have a flame of youthful idealism burning — a flame that has been snuffed out too easily in friends and fellow church attenders. Because they have never left their first love. Because they have a desire to break from old traditions while at the same time impacting our world for Christ.
This current culture is more visual (look at the proliferation of computer games, cameras, graphics programs), more open to questions (because there is a broader scope of information shared we need to ask more questions about reliability and sensibility of what we hear, read and see), more desirous of participation (you can even find sermons being “co-written” by pastor and parishioners!).
We need to find a better way to deliver good news to our current culture. 40 years makes a difference!! In other words, we need to put things in a way that this culture understands: contextualize, become cross-cultural (for us baby boomers this is a bit hard), go to people who aren’t like us!
Is the “emerging church” a new church, or a new face to an ancient faith?