Pastoring in a media age

“In an earlier age the pulpit has, as one Victorian preacher expressed it, been ‘newspaper, schoolmaster, theological treatise, a stimulant to good works, historical lecture, metaphysics etc. all in one’. But no longer was this so” John Briggs, "From Christendom to Pluralism" in Wright, David, Essays in Evangelical Social Ethics, 1978.

The above quote chimed with me as I'd been thinking a little about how people who go to church are formed and informed in their Christian experience. It seems that - as is so often the case - 'Christian' media is following the 'world' in that there is a growing diversity of information streams/media outlets (of which blogs are a part of) and which inform and shape the average Christian punter. Add to this mix of different media streams 'God Tourism' and one has to conclude that the local pulpit is one voice among many.

Pastor's therefore need to wake up to the fact that their sermon is probably not the only sermon many of 'their people' will listen to. They may have listened to a podcast, watched a DVD like the Nooma series, turned on the God Channel (personally I have a problem with the name never mind the content, but there again I am developing into a grumpy old man), watched clips of church services on YouTube, read a Christian blog or two, and bombarded their ears with CCM. Some of this will be good, some of it poor and some of it bad.

So how are pastors to respond to this? I'm not too sure... but have a few tentative thoughts.

Shepard's not gate keepers. I don't think and authoritarian stance whereby Pastors act as gate keepers barring peoples way is an appropriate response. Pastors need to be Shepard's both helping lead people through the new Christian media age and also equipers helping people grow in discernment.

Respect diversity. Pastors need to respect diversity - there are people in your congregation who every week like to swing from the chandeliers, but they also need moments of quite and thus during the week listen to Taise.

People also need to think about what they are listening to and experiencing. Too much rich food can give you gout, likewise junk food well it tastes great but destroys you from the inside out. A balanced diet is needed.

Comments

[Margaret]

Haven't been on your blog for ages. Good to see your thoughts. How are your studies going? M

[jason]

Amen, I agree that people need to realizes they are not the sole voice of the flock. Sometimes they may not be the best voice!

[brodie]

Margaret - thanks for the comment. Studies are going well. I'm on the home strech now working on my dissertation. Accepted to start PhD in September and trying to raise funds for this at the mo.

[stuart]

Hi Brodie - yes coffee I know...

1. Skillful shepherds need not mean stupid sheep
2 Pastors should be concerned to help people reach and exercise maturity - but not simply individually but together (I am who I am because of everyone - to quote that clever Orange advert)

Following on from this with respect to how people receive their influences...

Pastors may not be the sole voice of the 'flock' and people may receive a lot of input from many places - but actually how much of that is something they hear corporately and as spoken to them as a community in their own situation? I think that there is something different therefore from me listening to my favourite preacher e.g. a Jim Wallis or Ched Myers and someone else listening to theirs e.g. Mark Driscoll and us hearing a word spoken to 'us' together in our own situation negotiating indeed our differences to help us be a community. That is the risky communal thing that we ask a pastor as preacher to do...

More...Yes media age, multi-media age, many voices etc. Yet, I think that there is something theologically unique about the voice spoken from the embodied vulnerability of one who is enfleshed among people. I actually think that if Jesus was to be incarnated today he would still come as a 'human being' actually among people and I am not convinced that he would use every method of technology to communicate because that assumes that all methods are neutral which of course they are not. It seems to me that the more we move from the human voice of the person sharing time and space with us - something is lost or something else is created that is not quite the same.

Oh that is enough from one who has said little of late...to the one who got him blogging...

[D Lochhead]

I see exactly where you're coming from especially after writing a sries of evangelical club talks and planning a follow up Bible study for new Christians. We have to use the media that our friends are listening to/watching and express our faith in those terms.

I have thoughts about the God channel - it's so big here but some of the content does sit well with me.

[brodie]

Stuart - I feel like a fisherman who has waited patiently for that big fish to bite onto the hook. That's for your comments.

[brodie]

Dougie - that's for the comment. Hope all is going well for you.