One of the marks of the post-modern generation is that its members are searching for authenticity. They've had it with hypocrisy, with parents and teachers who tell them to act a certain way and then do the opposite. They've lost respect for authority because authority tends to say, "do what I say and don't ask questions."
The church has largely ignored the post-moderns because, after all, if they don't want to be told what to do, they certainly aren't looking for what God has to offer. Or, to be fair, perhaps we just don't know how to connect with them. Their loosy-goosy morality frightens us. When they ask questions, they aren't really looking for answers, so we shy away. The irony is that what God has to offer is exactly what they are looking for-- authentic life, real relationships, complete honesty.
On Sunday, we visited Imago Dei, a church less than a decade old which has successfully connected with this new generation. I don't know what "denomination" they belong to, but I suspect they would say that they're not into drawing lines, that life is complicated enough without erecting artificial border fences. I don't know what their stand is on all my favorite issues, but I do know that the words that came out of the preacher's mouth were pure gospel truth.
I'm also not saying I'm jumping ship at my church. I just think we have a lot to learn about connecting with people where they are and I'm interested in learning anything I can about bringing Christ to different cultures, whether next door or abroad.
Imago Dei and a few other churches in the area are deploying over a thousand Christians this weekend to reclaim run-down areas of town, restore them to their intended beauty, and name them sacred spaces, dedicated to God and his kingdom. I love this idea of claiming territory for God, and doing it alongside Christ followers, city workers, homeless bums, troubled teens, and landscape professionals.
How can Jesus not smile on that?
This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
James 1:27 (NASB)
4 comments:
It's cool you're posting on this. Just today I watched their promo video on this Sacred Space thing. It looks really neat, and I'm wondering, "What in the world would this look like in Cheatham County Tennessee?"
(your link should be .com, not .org)
Thanks, Jenna. The link is fixed. I think I was looking at the other address, www.sacredspacepdx.org, when I was typing.
You are an excellent communicator. You've summed up Imago and the Post Modern Generation in a clear way. Our visit to that church was encouraging. There is a lot of life in their body. Thanks for going with me.
Post a Comment