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you said the "p" word

I was listening to everclear's "am radio" and I had a major flash back to the late 70's.  (wavy-lines, wavy-lines, wavy-lines) dicky and I were cruising the local strip in sarasota florida looking for "woman" - not that any young lady would have anything to do with two pimpled faced kids wiring plat formed shoes driving their father's car, but we were blind to the world, and our hormones were in full gear.  when I heard the greatest song ever song by man - it was pure, simple, powerful and most of all - it was something so new, so different I knew my life was changed from that point on I was a new "man"- it was queen's "bohemian rhapsody."

I remembered getting so excited by the song I needed to share my excitement with someone other then dicky - dicky was my best friend, but we had both experienced the song together and I needed to share it with more people.  I remember running into my house shouting, "I just heard the best f****** song ever."

as if my timing could be any more poignant, as I ran into the house screaming, my mother's jaw dropped to the floor - our company, three baptist's from the local church on a door to door mission to requite new members, the two women gasped for air, and the men stood in anger - they all excused themselves, walking out the door mumbling something about "single moms and the brats they raise."  just then, as if to add insult to the injury, my little sister ran around the house chanting, "johnny said the "f" word, johnny said the "f" word."

the reaction of the visitors, my mother and mostly my kid sister printed itself on my mind - and when ever I mention I am a "postmodern theologian" I get the same results - women gasp, men anger and church people chant "johnny said the "p" word, johnny said the "p" word."

this fear of the postmodern reality is simple and pure.  moderns just don't get it, and when ever we try to explain to them what it's all about - they run away chanting "the p word" chant.  there "not getting it" I believe is based on basic differences in our thinking patterns:

logical/experience

moderns tend to bank on the logic of science - it's the difference between spock, from the old star track and 7of9, from voyager.  spock always tried to hide his human half with his drive to maintain  his logic half.  while 7of9 tries to experience life - with coxing at first - and when she does she puts her all into the experience, even to the point of making mistakes - she buys into the process 110%, giving all she has to the process.

linear/overlapping

moderns tend to put things in lines, postmoderns tend to let things overlap.  a good example is a friday night out with the gang - we just let the movement of the time carry us to our destination - you see we know where we want to end-up and we are very open to letting the experience move us along - always keeping in mind the destination.  moderns tend to have a rigid plan, complete with timetables - a focused and driven plan with very little, if any, play in the system.

either, or/both, and, also

moderns tend to see things in black and white - you either pick this, or you pick that.  postmoderns see all the great shades of color that life can offer - picking is hard, because we want it all.

institutional/organic 

for moderns - bigger is better; all they are is connected to the institution.  I remember talking with a women, in her 50's, and her son.  her son asked if a "catholic" was a "christian"? - I said "yes" - too which his mother added, "but we are catholic first."

church/kingdom

the modern church tends to see things in terms of average number of people they can "attract" to their worship service - while postmoderns tend to try to increase the kingdom.  moderns try to get you to go to their church - after all, they got it right.  postmoderns could care less where you worship - just worship.  I was recently speaking with a member of a mainline church who had questioned the way his church kept membership records.  his concerned centered on the fact that on any given sunday there were 50 people in church, yet the "membership" books indicated the church had over 300 people.  when he approached his pastor about the numbers, he was told "not to worry and to trust that the church knew what it was doing."

think different/be different

modern churches want you to develop a different thinking pattern, while postmodern teachings say you must be different.  we don't tend to be "checkbook" people, we tend to be "date-book" people, we want more then just to write a check, we want to get dirty in the ministry - like the classic line from "the rocky horror picture show" - "do think here, be here."

now, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with being modern, or even  anti-postmodern.  I simply see it as a last ditch desire to control the uncontrollable.  you see, change is coming - change is the nature of life .  everything changes; if it is living it grows, if is dead it decays.  I have noticed that the modern form of rejection follows a set pattern - attack the theology; when that fails, attack the music; when that fails, attack the look; when that fails, attack the style of the ministry; when that fails - run around the room waiving your arms chanting - "you said the p word, you said the p word."

by pastor john o'keefe

John O’Keefe is the founder of www.ginkworld.net.  John sees a desperate need for the church as a whole to change and reach a new people for Christ.  He is straightforward, honest and calls it the way it he sees it.  John is a graduate of Drew and has been a Senior Pastor and Church Planter