I have a pastor friend in Denver that is very easy to have a conversation with. He is funny, engaging, and well versed in the world we find ourselves in. We can talk computers, sports, politics, and current events as well as ministry, theology, and “church business.”

This friend of mine is very well liked by his church in part because he is easy to talk to. Not only is he friendly and engaging, but he knows things outside of the world of ministry.

I also have another pastor I know well who reads nothing but Christian books, does not ever watch TV, and in spite of being friendly and outgoing does not do well with people. Why is that? I think a significant part of it is that he never has anything to talk with people about other than Christian items.

On one level it is honorable to not fill your mind with the junk we find on TV or to get caught up in the latest drivel about Brittney Spears. But on another level there is some value in being culturally literate. Being culturally literate not only gives us another avenue to understand society, but it can be a bridge to people who are a part of our ministry.

Let me give you an example. We do a monthly gathering with with folks who are new to our church. We have a lunch in the home of one of the pastor’s and over lunch we visit. Because I read the paper, listen to the radio, and read a wide variety of blogs I find it much easier to talk with people about items other than the church and Scripture.

So here is what I would encourage you do to…..watch the news once in a while. Yea it is mostly bad news, but go ahead a time or two a week. In one half hour newscast you can learn about current events, entertainment, sports, and catch a human interest story or two. Or better yet, watch the news while you exercise. Most gyms have televisions within the view of cardiovascular machines. In my local media market there is a tight half hour news cast that runs from 5-7 AM live. Even if I jump on the treadmill at 6:15, by 6:45 when I jump off I have received an overview of all the news. (and as a bonus, I always know how to dress for the day because I caught the weather!) They even have updates on what happened last night on American Idol.

We don’t need to be an expert on everything…we can’t be an expert on everything….but having a working knowledge of the major happenings will be of benefit to us and our ministries. And you know what else, we just might get a keen and helpful observation that will be of help to our teaching ministry.

In eternity no one will care about the movies we have seen or the sports we are able to converse about. But being able to bride a relational gap because of a modest amount of cultural literacy might be what it takes to get someone to eternal life.

(Note: This post was inspired by one on The Simple Dollar. I would recommend looking at Brent’s take on this issue.)