American Culture and Contexualization

Another thing I thought a lot about this summer was contexualization. Contexualization basically means adapting to different contexts. In ministry we use this term to describe how we need to adapt ourselves as well as our approach if we want to communicate the gospel to a context (or culture) different than our own. I noticed as soon as I returned back to the US this summer that this principle is as much necessary in the US as it is in India. Our American church forms and styles would be just as foreign to many young people in America as they are in India!! I talked to someone last week who teaches in public schools and has had whole classrooms of kids who didn't know what a church or a pastor was! And, this is in the rural mid-west... imagine urban cities! This means that already we have a generation of Americans that are not even nominally identified with the Christian "culture" of America. What we need to remember is that our Lord, our Guru, adapted himself to us so that he could communicate his love to us. So, if we want to communicate effectively, we need to start thinking about how to communicate to this new culture in America. We can not expect that they will hear and understand the gospel in the way that we once did. They are not going to show up as a visitor in a Sunday morning church service. So... how are they going to hear??