http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,586405,00.html?test=latestnews

Growing up in the church I have been struck recently by how secluded and separate “church talk” has become — I am not sure the words and phrases we use in church these days would even be recognizable around lunch tables and water coolers. I found this article interesting because it highlights the ‘dechurching’ of America’s young people — but also points out that while they might be migrating from church — they are not necessarily leaving behind faith. I think it is essential for those of us in the church to learn to communicate the gospel message in the words of popular culture — to find new ways to frame the story so that it is easily understood. I chose To Kill a Mockingbird as the topic for my new book partially because of my love for the novel — but also because it is such a deeply familiar part of our culture — almost every school age english reader has some exposure and familiarity to the story. It is my hope that those who read The Mockingbird Parables will experience the gospel message in a fresh way — not that the characters and stories of a novel can replace the Bible — but that it can frame the Gospel message for us in different words — maybe catch us off guard — and hopefully communicate to a culture that is becoming less and less familiar with “church talk.”