I am troubled.

I am seriously troubled. I spent the past week conversing quite a bit with a number of wacked out non-Christians. And I am seriously troubled about it because I am so inadequately prepared to converse with these people and get into their world so that my salt and light can shine.

It is as though I am from another planet. I am quite comfortable parsing verbs and exegeting passages and writing sermons and debating the nuances of double predestination. However, when it comes to simple things like the latest movies or cultural fads, I make one statement and am mocked incredulously. It is not the mocking that bothers me. It is the fact that I thought I was right in the conversation.

In order to reach people, we have to know where they live and understand their world to some extent. Seminary has ben stripping all of that from me. And I don't think it is enough to learn and quote more verses or learn more conversation techniques.

Any ideas?