The turn toward Reformed theology and church polity is geographically widespread but far from enveloping the majority of congregations. Arising out of the practical demands of pastoral ministry and the church's mission, this movement is as vibrant and vigorous as it is young and tender. Critically, it is an actual reformation of the church.(2) We are not talking about a pocket of evangelicals who have just discovered Reformed soteriology, as good as that sort of thing is.

We've thrown out the old-fashioned idea of a Creator, remember. So we'll have to do without one. Right, the world must have arisen by chance. Even more amazing is the emergence of life, apparently on this planet alone. That must be by chance, too, if there was no Creator. So impersonal matter, given masses of time and chance, produced personal life, did it? Well it didn't work that way when Pasteur tried it.

Boomers care about causes. They want to change the world for the better. The calling of James 1:27 - to care for widows and orphans - resonates with this generation. Church leaders can tap into Boomers' desire to make a difference by providing opportunities for up close and personal ministry.

When reading about such efforts, and many others like them, I am often reminded of Hebrews 6:3 where the anonymous author tells us that we must do these things, but it is well past the time when we should have grown up and moved on (Hebrews 5: 12 - 6: 3). And it is indeed well past the time that we should have moved on by moving back into the patterns - priorities, principles and practices - that God has revealed.