Just sitting here at the library working on yet another paper. It's shaping up to be about being missional in a postmodern culture. (It better be shaping up to being about something because it's due on Monday...)
Some very quick, unprocessed thoughts... feedback appreciated
- In previous cultures missiology was all about presenting previously unavailable information. (This was true from Paul's time right through modernity.)
- In this postmodern era we live in, the information is available elsewhere. (The internet is more efficient at making information available than we could ever be.)
- If we're still about distributing information, we are redundant.
- Now, we must present evidence of redemption, transformation, etc. In other words, we need to demonstrate that the Good News actually "works".
- This is a stage the modern era never prepared us for - it was all about the information, how to make it appealing to various cultures and times, etc.
- Information (and it's packaging) is time sensitive.
- Transformation, on the other hand, is timeless.
- Love too is a universal, unchanging language.
- The injustices may (appear to) change, but the seeking of justice never changes
So, as the people of God, are we still stuck in information-delivery mode (which has a very short shelf life anyway), or are we seeking to demonstrate the power of the redemptive, transformational message of the Kingdom of God (which is timeless)?
UPDATE: Good feedback from Glenn in the comments section. The church in Acts was certainly missional in that they walked the talk. Perhaps its more accurate to say that the process of modernization turned the gospel into information to be transmitted, received and processed.
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