RELEVANCE

I am a relevance fanatic. Well, maybe fanatic is too strong a word, but i'm at least frenetic about it, if not fanatical.

It's not 1959 any more - the year I was born, if you're interested. It is 2008. The WORD certainly remains the same. The WORLD does not. The WORD is a whole lot older than 1959, of course. So is the WORLD. Today, there are questions about human cloning, same-sex marraiges, space stations, gas prices, world hunger, AIDS, terrorism, refugee camps, assisted suicide, teen pregnancy, genocide, post-modernism and so much more. We need to give the WORD to the WORLD in the context of these issues. SOMEONE out there is giving them answers. Shouldn't the people who know the GOD with all the answers be trying to as well?

There is a bend coming in the road (we're already in it actually) where we have to decide whether or not we're going to walk it. Preachers down thru the centuries, beginning WAY WAY back, have had to come to terms with it.

When Jesus called His disciples to reach Samaria, He exposed the disciples to a great challenge because "Jews have no dealings with Samaritans." (John 4:9) Think about how difficult that had to be for the disciples - reaching out and loving the very people they had been taught all their lives to despise.

Paul always loved his own people. But God called him to the Gentiles. WHO??

We used to tell "Polish" jokes. Remember those? But if you've ever actually BEEN to Poland and seen the lovely people who live there, you probably don't tell those any longer. The world is shrinking.

If you stand in line to buy a book at Barnes & Noble, there among the racks leading up to the register you'll find those little novelty books. They have titles like:
'Itty Bitty Buddha'
'The Voodoo Kit'
'Yoga to Go'
'Jesus: He's Your Answer'
'Tarot'
'Therapist in a Box'
'Little Book of Happiness'
'The Wash-Away-Your-Sins Soap Bar'

All of those confusions tell us what people think it means (or DOESN'T mean) to follow God/god today. One author said: 'In a Christianized, less secular culture, you can jump right to the commitment ... go right to the Gospel presentation ... but secular people have many more stages to go through.'

It forces us to face the fact that you can be inconsistent in doctrine (aren't we ALL?), you can be mistaken about some things (aren't we ALL?), and yet, if you've put a simple faith in Him, you can truly be following Christ one step at a time. SANCTIFICATION IS A PROCESS.

So am I fanatical and frenetic about relevance? You bet I am. And ... I am committed to communicating the timeless message in ways this culture can relate to and embrace. Let's keep this conversaton going. Stay tuned.

And be blessed.