What do you think of when you see the following words: authority, sin, judgment, hell, Jesus? If you’re reading this magazine and attend a Lutheran Brethren church, then you and I probably share a similar understanding of those words. We could use them in conversation without either of us being offended or put off or misunderstood. (Although we might each be convicted in our heart by the Holy Spirit – another reference we could use without explanation.)
  Now think about talking to someone who understands none of those words as you do. How do you do it? Where do you even begin? Welcome to our postmodern, post-Christian culture.

In Mark Driscoll’s book, Confessions of a Reformission Rev. (notice the clever mission), he says, “According to the gospel of forgiveness, we have sinned against God and are under his wrath until we ask for forgiveness and live changed lives of repentance. This gospel worked for people in Christendom because they had a general knowledge of authority, sin, judgment, hell, and Jesus.” He goes on in the next paragraph: “Though this gospel made sense to most people at one time, this sort of gospel seems judgmental, mean-spirited, naïve, and narrow-minded to the ever-growing number of people who do not understand the basic tenets of Christianity.”

Stunning, but there it is. You can see it happening. The gospel message of forgiveness and love is heard as judgmental, mean-spirited, naïve, and narrow-minded. Whoa. No wonder more people aren’t flocking to our churches. It’s a misperception, to be sure, but a real perception nonetheless by people unfamiliar with Christian language and meaning.

I’ll be honest: the mere mention of the word “postmodernism” makes my head spin. Which, really, is perhaps an apt word picture for what it is: random spinning. There’s nothing solid to stand on. No common ground to work from. No built-in Christian context or accepted authority. Postmodernism is sort of like a giant dot-to-dot display without any numbers: you can connect them any way you want, and never have a clear picture.

The place to start, and to finish, is prayer. Following the CLB convention in June, I was inspired to pray more earnestly for my neighbors. Since then my family and I have gone on “prayer walks,” where we read a little scripture and then walk around a designated block three times, praying for our neighbors who live in those homes. I’m often unsure how to engage people outside my “Christian circle” in conversation, but I know how to pray for them. And I pray that God would connect the dots for them, in an order that they will understand, so that what they see, and who they see, is Jesus. Father, draw them to Jesus. Amen.

Rev. Randy Mortenson serves as pastor of Ebenezer LBC, Mayville, ND.

By Randy Mortenson

Randy Mortenson serves as pastor of Ebenezer Lutheran Brethren Church, Mayville, ND. He is also the author of the re:Think column.