The harm of having a window for taboo topics?

How often does your church preach on controversial issues?

How often do they intentionally speak about current trends?

How often will they directly address the questions you’re most likely to have?

In youth ministry, these are must-hit targets.

You must teach on the things at the both core and cutting edge of youth culture.

But, I’m not sure that these targets are as intentionally hit from most pulpits.

Will they speak on taboos if the intersect with the biblical passage they were preaching on nonetheless? You’d hope so. But, these hot-button issues are often touched on by happenstance than design.

What effect does this have?

If a church tiptoes around controversial issues, surely this risks putting it out of touch, for the messages from the pulpit won’t intersect with the water cooler in the workplace.

This evasion not only paints the church as irrelevant, but fails to equip church members to engage with uneasy topics.

Furthermore, if their church shys away from the meatier topics, this weakens those who are new to the faith.

It would be a tremendous detriment if the taboo window slammed shut after, say, the age of 25.

If a church wants their people to live fruitfully in the world then they shouldn’t  remain silent on Sunday about the issues discussed on Monday.