By Jere L. Phillips
Each Sunday, the average pastor preaches to several different culture groups.
These groups speak different languages, have different values, dress differently,
think differently and often have difficulty communicating with each other. These
cultural groups are more commonly known as generations.
Louis B. Hanks has noted: “The five generations born during the 20th
century will align with new phases of life, resulting in shifts in generational
influence, leadership and power. Church life in the 21st
century largely will be shaped by these prevailing winds.”1
Some congregations have ignored the changes and subsequently dwindled in size
to fit the one or two demographical groups that have control of the church.
Others have focused on only one aspect of younger generations, such as musical
taste, and found themselves embroiled in worship wars that tore apart the fabric
of the fellowship.
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When
thinking about how to preach across generational cultures, the average pastor
takes one of three directions.
The
frustration of encountering a culture he views as foreign can lead the pastor
to ignore culture altogether. He can rightly assert that the message of the
gospel is eternal, unchanging and, therefore, should not be culturally sensitive
to be culturally relevant. He falls victim to the premise that by paying no
attention to the people to whom he preaches he is somehow more pure in his gospel
presentation. No preacher would be so arrogant as to preach in Mexico without
an interpreter. However, the same preacher charges ahead in his own church without
considering whether or not his message is in a language that his hearers can
understand.
Other
pastors may be so sensitive to the cultural distinctions of a particular group
they wish to reach they may create a climate so focused on that single generation
that the church becomes almost exclusive. Other age groups are welcome so long
as they embrace the corporate culture and environment of the church, regardless
of how alien it may be to them. For example, one pastor focusing on Gen-x’ers
made the statement about the decibel levels of their music, “If our music is
too loud for you, you are too old for our church.”
Preachers
can be effective in communicating a changeless gospel in a fluid environment
by embracing the opportunity of cultural expression. How does the preaching
pastor overcome the complexities of generational culture to bring the Bible
to bear on each person? Why not employ the tenants of expository preaching
and the application of cross-cultural communication to reach successfully across
the ages?