2008 Note:  This was written after Jo & I had left Sheffield to serve & visit misisonary friends.  We sold up our house & possessions to buy a round the world ticket and set off in August 2005 to see where God would take us.  After 3 months in the US and 3 months in New Zealand we ended up serving for a few years at a church in Geelong, Australia.

Since leaving Sheffield I’ve realised just how far society really is from actually being post modern.  If modernity were like a 25 litre tin of white paint then I think the post modernity element is not even a teaspoon of yellow. Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind people working out how our children’s children to the 13th degree would be best equipped to help their friends-that-don’t-know-Jesus meet Jesus but I’m not sure how useful to the church it is right now.

I think I’m just not sure about all this talk which usually ends up in extremes and has no basis or bearing on the reality we’re living in, or the job we have to do now. Yes, of course we are in a transition period, but name a period in history that wasn’t in transition?   Perhaps I’m becoming more pragmatic as I work at St Matts - I know that I often tend to default toward theory but I wonder whether the emerging church theorists I’m reading are just mirroring the world in trying to “be the first to be the new thing”.

Its great that people are thinking about these things to a degree - but perhaps thinking about mission in 2006 rather than 2306 would be more helpful in equipping the church? It is very cool and trendy to talk about post modern church but since the vast majority of society is only a couple of steps down the road toward post-modernity it also narrows the section of society you’re aiming at.  Post-Modernity is like saying 12.01pm is post-noon (or the after-noon) which of course it is, but its not very far past noon and for the vast majority of people its still lunchtime.

Related posts
Is the post-modern/emerging Church just for the middle class?
The point of life and fruit that will last
Hymns vs Choruses/Contemporary Songs
How not to do Matthew 18 accountability
A Gospel of Power not of words