The SBC is bellwether of American evangelicalism, & recent SBC news is entirely consistent w/ larger cultural/religious landscape of last 5 years. Pay attention to *that* & you'll understand more of what's happening there.
And, ironically enough, these same forces are in play at local church level precisely b/c they are systemic. IOW, none of this is an aberration & you shouldn't be surprised when we see it reflected in multiple spaces.
Couple of observations:
1) Boomers are having hard time sharing/ giving power to next gen. They're also living longer than prev gen. Look at age of 2020 POTUS candidates: Trump, Warren, Sanders.
Same in church. This isn't what John Piper meant by not wasting your retirement.
1) Boomers are having hard time sharing/ giving power to next gen. They're also living longer than prev gen. Look at age of 2020 POTUS candidates: Trump, Warren, Sanders.
Same in church. This isn't what John Piper meant by not wasting your retirement.
2) B/c of this generational sensibilities are exacerbated. Vastly different value systems in play btwn generations. Ideally, these would lead to collaboration & strength for common good. When it becomes struggle for control, everyone loses.
3) Populism has made strong comeback. (This can't be divorced from gen divide either w/ Boomers winning w/ sheer numbers.) Appeal to grassroots & rejection of elites leads, ironically enough, to self-validation w/ little room for reflection & discussion.
4) Given breakdown btwn family (read: generations), tribalism has become a primary way we form community. Common good & cooperation is suspect. Everything becomes a test of allegiance & loyalty to group.
Result is massive fragmentation, culture of suspicion, epistemological confusion, & little productive dialogue.
Practically, it looks like:
breakdown in family relationships
conflict in local churches
denominational infighting
national division.
Practically, it looks like:
breakdown in family relationships
conflict in local churches
denominational infighting
national division.
But you know this already because you've been living it for the last few years anyway.
The goal is to keep your wits (& integrity) in the midst of social chaos:
1. Don't leverage dysfunction for personal gain
2. As much it relies on you, resist fragmentation
3. Seek the common good
4. Build bridges for others to cross
5. Work for the good of future generations
1. Don't leverage dysfunction for personal gain
2. As much it relies on you, resist fragmentation
3. Seek the common good
4. Build bridges for others to cross
5. Work for the good of future generations
