A few years before Covid-19 stopped the world, a preacher named Lon Solomon did a sermon series called “So What?” Now, I don’t know much about his ministry or about his theological and political leanings, but I thought his question and how he presented the series by answering questions of faith were powerful. So what? What does the Bible, Christianity, prayer, and all of it mean in the context of my everyday life?
Well, Covid-19 caused many more believers and unbelievers alike to ask the question, “So what?” So what if I never return to church again? Mainline churches were already on the decline prior to the pandemic, and with the major shift in ways of thinking about worship, spirituality, and fellowship, it’s become harder to bring people back into worship spaces. Now more than ever, people want an answer to the question of “So what?” So what if I continue to worship from home? So what if I don’t agree with congregational singing anymore? So what if I don’t see the value in sitting through two-hour sermons? Covid-19 forced all of us to address our own mortality, grief, loss, fear, and anxiety. In other words, we’ve been forced to deal with the real. Religious platitudes from the pulpit are no longer satisfying people’s soul’s longing for a meaningful relationship with God.
I know people are very resistant to change, but if we are going to draw people back into our houses of worship after all we’ve suffered the last two years, we’re going to have to reassess our preaching. People are looking for real answers now. They want to know why bad things happen to good people. They want to know how they can endure the constant loss and grief. They want to know how to overcome anxiety, fear, and hopelessness. They want to know what God has to say about all of the things happening in the world today. In other words, they want us as preachers to launch out into the deep areas of our faith and wrestle with God’s word to find the answers they need to press forward. They want substance and the meat of the word. Milk will no longer satisfy God’s thirsting people.
A recent satirical movie, “Honk for Jesus: Save Your Soul,” confronts issues in the “Black Church” and caused an uproar amongst many people. However, what I feel they did right is address the superficial sermons and messages we oftentimes hear on Sunday mornings. In times of prosperity, these sermons may satisfy the seeker Christian and baby believer. However, the existential issues brought on by the devastation of Covid-19 have shifted people’s hearts and minds. Many now realize their souls have been longing for something deeper and more meaningful. It’s time for us as those called of God to really feed God’s sheep. That means we must go deeper. We must tarry for the Lord. We must be still so we can hear God’s voice.
A shift has happened in the last two years. God is doing a new thing in the Body of Christ. We, as preachers of the Gospel, must take time to perceive it so we can share the good news of Jesus Christ and draw people into the fold.