Postmodernism is an idea that is bandied about so much these days that it has been stripped of its edge. Gen-X pundits use it to speak about the relational style of today's young adults. Conservative commentators use it to describe today's rampant relativism.

But trying to put a sharp definition on postmodernism is a very "modern" thing to do. Try to categorize it and it loses its postmodern essence.

For many churches, trying to ride the currents of postmodernism has become an obsession, a rationale for throwing out the Sunday-morning dress code or forgoing the hymnal in favor of PowerPoint. But reaching postmoderns is more than using pop-culture sermon illustrations or changing your music.

As pastor of an urban-based church comprised mostly of college students, I find myself smack in the middle of questions about postmodernism. I have to stay up-to-date on what's happening, but the question is: Having identified the trends of postmodernism, what do we do with them? How should they inform ...