Knowing Our Century

I am reading a somewhat interesting on the Reformation of the sixteenth century, entitled Reformation and Society in Sixteenth-Century Europe by A. G. Dickens. Chapter four concludes as follows:

"When Martin Bucer of Strassburg somewhat piggishly urged the Wittenburg theologians to get out into the world and preach [Martin] Luther replied in the pregnant words: 'We do that with our books.' He knew his century."

The printing press was a relatively new invention at the time. Literacy was on the rise even among merchant and laboring classes. People were eager to read. Luther sought to fill the demand by getting his message out. "He knew his century." He operated outside the normal way of getting one's message out.

The question we need to ask ourselves is: "Do we know our century?" Are we communicating the message in a way that our century understands? Are we communicating our message in a way that our generation is eager to receive it?

One of the problems that we often face in ministry is the battle between methods. Do we do what we have always done because it once worked? Or do we try something new to reach a new generation?

Our message must never change, but we often have to alter the way in which it is communicated.

Do we know our century?