Communicating the Relevance of the Gospel in a Changing Culture (I)

I promised (threatened?) to post my Break Forth presentation in a serialized form here on my blog, in the hope, mistakenly or otherwise, that some might like to see it, so here is the first 'chapter,' so to speak. My presentation was developed using some of Alpha's own material and adding my own thoughts and those of others in the Christian sphere. I must say that when I make such a presentation, I don't merely put it in point form, but write it out fully, pretty much as I give it verbally. That's just the way I do things. Hope you enjoy it.

My presentation, more or less as I gave it:
You can see my name on the screen. The reason I put it there is not because I like to see my name in lights, so to speak, but so that when I introduce myself as John Kivell, people don’t think I’m the guy from the dog food. (My wife hates it when I say that)

I should also tell you that even though the title of my presentation doesn’t mention Alpha, this is pretty much going to be a commercial for Alpha, because I truly believe that Alpha is the perfect tool for communicating the Gospel in today’s culture. And in keeping with the subject of staying relevant, this talk will be made available on your choice of audio cassette orVHS tape.

Os Guinness says: “Evangelicalism has never chased relevance more determinedly than it does now. And yet, we've never been more irrelevant.” The only thing that is always relevant is the Gospel itself.”

Notice I didn’t say, “making the gospel relevant…” The Gospel is relevant. So the question is, how do we communicate this relevance; the already existing relevance, in today’s world. As soon as you feel you have to try to make the Gospel message relevant, you are admitting that you think it is not.

I'm not attacking true relevance. Just saying that in our attempts to be relevant we mustn’t inadvertently (or advertently, if that’s a word; let's say deliberately) change or soften the truth of God’s word. That happens all too often and it’s not necessary. What I mean is communicating this eternally relevant message effectively in a changing culture. Trying to be relevant to the culture can mean we think we have to change the gospel, or omit or soften parts of it, to appeal to people at a particular point in time. Being relevant is not being trendy. C.S. Lewis said if you change the gospel it to suit the current generation it’ll be meaningless to the next.

Apparently now there is a move among a lot of young people toward history, liturgy, and richness again. They're going back to the early church fathers and the Scriptures. They want the Cross and worship. The people who cut out all that stuff in the name of relevance have suddenly found themselves becoming irrelevant.

So, again, the challenge is how to communicate eternally relevant information in various or changing contexts. How can we hold people’s attention  in this culture – I think we have to hold it longer - long enough for them to hear the saving message of Jesus Christ; long enough for it to break through the barriers that more and more are being erected and through to understanding. Times and attitudes have changed. Ways that grabbed people’s attention in the past perhaps no longer work.

Deep down people have the same needs, but seem to give less and less time to anyone attempting to address those needs. They have less and less patience – give less and less credibility – to anyone who tries to tell them they have the answers they need.

That’s why I love what I do. I love Alpha, and that’s why this message will emphasize why I think the Alpha model works for evangelizing today. It’s not the only way, but certainly one of the best.

 

(to be continued...)

 

Blessings,

 

John