Engaging, not conforming

On Sunday, we drank in a passionate sermon by one of our community directors (and youth pastor at my former church), Micah Witham, on the Church and postmodern culture.

• Sermon links: MP3 | Windows Media

Using the examples of Paul presenting to different audiences in Acts 13 (Jews) and 17 (Greeks) and working from 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, Micah taught that Christians have been entrusted with the truth of God’s unchanging word and the Church has been commissioned to communicate the gospel to an everchanging world as Christ’s ambassadors. In order to effectively engage the world and present the gospel message, we have to be constantly aware of the context of culture around us.

Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. (1 Corinthians 9:19-23, TNIV)

Bearing in mind Romans 12:2, the church is not to become the culture of the world around us, but we have to thoroughly understand it and be sensitive to it in order to engage with it and most effectively present the gospel so that the Holy Spirit can begin working.

It was within this context that Micah presented the concepts that are at the heart of his specific ministry focus, SOULstice, which focuses on a “postmodern” experiential community:

The name of our faith community came from the desire to seek and enjoy our Creator who desires to continually renew our being, our person, and our soul. We desire to experience the rhythm of change together. Every spring new things … spring up from the earth, reaching, receiving, and expressing towards what is bright. There is a cadence of change through the seasons. What fell in the autumn, and sat still in the winter, will be the very thing God will use to nourish the new things to come. In this way we pray that God will continually be molding and shaping us into His perfect image. (about SOULstice)

Do your churches have similar efforts? I realize that there are whole movements, e.g. the Emergent Church, built around “postmodern experience”, however, my understanding of them has tempered by the general criticism that these groups or movements put experience first instead of the message of the gospel.

I have not yet been to a SOULstice service, so I’m not qualified to describe the actual differences in practice. However, as long as the message is coming from the gospel to shape the experience of the group, as Micah taught, and they are not trying to shape the truth of the gospel through experience, then I’m inclined to support the effort.