Sunday, September 02, 2007

Communication
It's A Miracle
The POSTMODERN twist



I'm at the First Presbyterian Church Evangelism conference in Nashville. Yesterday was filled with lot's of learning and discussion. Following an amazing southern-preaching celebration with a great message about spiritual obedience and blue-tooth technology yesterday morning, the afternoon was filled with some workshops. I attended a helpful one on Reaching Gen Xers (the Postmodern Generation). Interesting to be present in a workshop in which I was (and the other dozen or so 20 and 30somethings in the room) were not the "target audience" but rather the "target." At one point some passion bubbled up as it was vocalized that it's not an "US - THEM" situation but a "WE" situation. We want the community of faith of those who follow Jesus of Nazareth to grow, deepen and mature across generational, racial, cultural, and socio-economic barriers. That's what Jesus says in Matthew 28 "go to the ends of the earth in my name with my teaching."

Maybe the challenge isn't thinking about the ends of the earth, you know that corner of the planet under antartica where the boats go after they fall off the edge, but actually more about our neighbors, those who are closest to yet farthest from us? Often I hear the question, "Why can't we just all get along?" That seems to be skipping several steps of critical thought...first of all what do we mean by "WE"?

Thought I'd share the funny statute of donkeys playing music at the Grand Old Opry. Maybe it's a metaphor for our problem. Maybe we just can't really see what each other is like. I don't mean that we think of each other as wolves in sheep's clothing...but maybe more along the line of donkeys playing the guitar.

2 comments:

Corn Dog said...

Love the photo. I am laughing so hard. Here, I thought I was the village idiot. I am really the guitar playing mule. ha ha

Thankfully, GenXers have given the traditional worship routines a bit of a shake up because I got lost a long time ago. Now, I am back online with the blogging scene. I appreciate your blog and your messages. I have even gone to some of the other preachers' blogs who have linked in and left comments.

For me, once a week at 11am doesn't cut it. I need help at 2am when I can't sleep. I need to be able to come in my computer room and flick on the MAC, talk to God and read what you have to say. That's me. God and me are a 7x24 deal. I didn't let church down. It let me down, and I left. Besides, I can't sing and THAT is so embarrassing for those of us that caw.

I prayed for help and it came. Funny how that works. I'm ever so grateful.

Monte said...

Corn Dog,
You're bringing tears to my eyes. That's what faith is - 24/7, @ 11am and 2am, when we need it and when we least expect it. I'm sorry that the church community has let you down in the past. I apologize for when I'll unavoidably do the same as pastor of Fruitvale in the future. After being let down myself, God brought me back. Don't worry about the singing, I'm not that talented either...and yet have to do so in a microphone each Sunday :) Good thing our sound system is spotty! I'm grateful for how God has brought us together both through and outside the church.
Keep the faith -
You help me keep mine!
Monte