principles and methods

Back to the traditions? Is the art of preaching is old one?

In worship or mission classes, the most hearing word is contextualization. there is no wrong in that! But the thoughts like we need to sing the traditional songs with traditional musics etc are some how we need to think. Since U say we need to go back to the traditions, my question is 'to whicn tradions?'

What U say as a tradion is not the tradition now. If we sing those songs, many people con't understand even! I believe that language, dress code, traditions and every thing is changed form generation to generation. They are all ways on change. What we call now as a classic is also one day it was not classic and it occupies the place of the classic at that time. So we need to think more about this contextualization in meaningful ways.

I remember the statement “Methods are many but principles are few. Methods may change, but principles never!”. Our worship, preaching, every ting must be contextualized but the present context is not the old tradition. it is on change always. The problem is, insted of thanging the methods, we try to change the principles. I try to explain this.

Once in our class a prof told a statemet of Francis-”Do the evangelism, if necessary use the words” That statement is working in a particular context only. But Every people including our prof's mind is that our life is more evangelistic. the preaching is not needed! After some days, in one class discussion, the total students decided that, in persicution, it is not to good preach, especially in India, we preach through our life not by words.

But think about those thoughts. What the disciples did when the persicution came in Acts! Why Jesus teach not just live? Friends, again the problem is same! They did not distinguish between the principles and methods. Living Christian life is not a method, it is a principle. By this living, people may change but it is just byproduct. Evangelism is based on the living. Without living the christian lice, how can U preach?