Postmodern and Wesleyan? The Conversation Continued

In the first chapter of Postmodern and Wesleyan?, Jon Middendorf addresses the question of why we need to enter into this conversation. No doubt there are those who deem the conversation unnecessary and even others who would consider it dangerous. As Jon points out, though, the God we believe in is one of dynamic interaction, reaching out to creation, speaking and working in countless ways, and inviting response. Interaction, speaking, inviting response - sounds like a conversation, doesn't it? If we truly believe that God is actively working to redeem and restore that which He loves, then we must accept that, in some way and on some level, a divine conversation is happening. And those of us in the Wesleyan tradition, who hold to the idea of prevenient grace, or the "grace that goes before," believe that this conversation is taking place even beyond the walls of our churches and our circles of Christian fellowship.

As I listen to many Christians who would be labeled by some as "postmodern," what I hear is a genuine desire to become a part of this divine and redemptive conversation. Jon, in this chapter, expressed it well:

"Postmodern Christians have grown increasingly frustrated by the Church's lack of familiarity with and lack of desire to dialogue with the broader culture. In the spirit of our Wesleyan heritage, these postmodern believers hope that those outside of the church walls will be treated as something other than a threat or an enemy.

Many postmodern Christians have a deep desire to reenter neighborhoods, towns and cities as the people of God. This reentering is not done with a posture that would have us pointing fingers, however. It is a reentering in conversation, with a genuine interest in people and places all too often considered beyond our church walls and responsibility.

Perhaps postmodern Christians can return to an understanding of the phrase 'Holiness Tradition' that will release and reenergize them. For too long 'holiness' has been a kind of wall keeping us separated from a culture we have deemed inherently evil. But this understanding of holiness not only puts us in danger of losing touch with postmodern believers but also denies our part of what is distinctive about our Wesleyan heritage." (p. 21)

Perhaps I can take Jon's statement one step further: the understanding of holiness as isolation not only denies our Wesleyan heritage, but also denies the spirit and character of Jesus revealed in the Gospels. The Jesus we claim to follow was a friend to sinners, engaged in love with all those around him. Much to the dismay and horror of religious isolationists, Jesus shared a table and conversation with those considered unclean and unworthy. Why would we think that Jesus no longer wants to have those surprising conversations with unlikely people in unexpected places? For many postmodern Christians, there is the feeling that the Church has disconnected from what God is doing "out there" and they desire to reengage our world, becoming an active part of this divine conversation.

Some will argue that, in reality, this attempt to engage the world is causing the Church to become conformed to the culture of the world. Is there the temptation and danger of becoming absorbed into the culture to such a degree that we no longer reflect the radical alternative of life in God's kingdom? Certainly - but that is not a new danger that just cropped up with the onset of postmodernism. Every generation of the Church has faced that same issue, and there have been those in every generation that ended up being shaped more by the culture than redeeming the culture. How many Christians in the modern era, especially within our culture, have conformed to the priorities and values of materialism and consumerism? The followers of Jesus have always faced and will always face the challenge of being "in" the world but not "of" it, the task of engaging culture effectively and redemptively without abandoning the values of the kingdom. To use this as an excuse to isolate ourselves in fear, however, is a rejection of our call to become part of God's mission of reconciliation and restoration.

Words of caution are necessary and valuable as we engage the culture around us. We must constantly remember who we are in Christ, what He has called us to be, and what it means to embody the values of His kingdom. With that said, the example of Jesus clearly challenges us to enter into a Spirit-directed, loving, and redemptive conversation with our world. Setting ministry methods and particulars aside for a moment, it seems the followers of Christ can find plenty of room for common ground, and at the very least, we can appreciate and affirm the desire of all those who long to impact our world with His love, grace, and mercy.