Help me process a thought
I have taken a couple days off from the blog this week because I have a lot on my plate, but I had to stick my head out and say something about the news in the last 36 hours.
It’s official, what we have already known is now in writing and there is no hiding from it. It’s time to stare it in the face and be real with ourselves. An eighteen year trend is showing the MASSIVE decline in people of any and all faiths in the United States. The biggest declines are seen in the Christian sects. Here are some links.
If you start counting how big your church has grown and how many new church plants are in your area then you totally fail. The Kingdom is so much bigger than that.
The church has made a lot of half hearted attempts at solving this issue. We call it ‘being relevant’.
We have changed our music, our teaching style, our websites, our vocabulary and we use cool words like; organic, emergent, postmodern and so on. But all of these are surface level things. Churches even get in squabbles over these surface level things.
What are we missing at the core, underneath the skin of this thing we call church?
Let’s start with what all of these churches have in common, it’s these very things that need to change, not just be repackaged.
Here’s what we all do:
- We sing some songs
- Some talking head gets up there and says stuff
- We create stuff to do during the week
Something about this isn’t working. What is it?
Some gross generalisations, but…
- Where is the church growing at the moment? "Third-world" countries.
- Where is the church most like that modelled in Acts? "Third-world" countries.
Church growth – real growth – has never been and can never be about the programs/format, but rather as we disciple and model Jesus for new believers, his whole ministry
Remember, we have access to everything he had access to when he was human on earth.
- He stripped Himself of His divinity – check.
- He was blameless/sinless – check, we have that gift from the gift he gave us by taking it on himself
- He had the power of the the Holy Spirit to do all things – check.
It's just no-one since has ever managed to completely strip away their own will.
Of course, I'm not saying we can be God…but Jesus is our model for how to live this life. We can't keep copping out and saying He was God, because He separated Himself from His Father while He was here on earth…just as we were post sin.
Not many churches walk in the empowering presence of God in first- and second-world countries. When was the last time you saw people being raised from the dead, for example? Of course it's not all about miracles, signs and wonders…but the fact they don't exist in most developed nations on a daily basis is a sign that our faith has become lipservice.
Sorry, really long…….
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What is missing is the ability to get to the core of the problem, and that is to enable people to realize that they are missing the Savior. The mission of the church is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ and his sacrifice on the cross to every people group. As it is, too many people are too worried about the window dressings that this gospel wears, rather than the meat of the gospel itself.
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Vince Reply:
March 11th, 2009 at 4:25 am
Good call Damon. We have spent the last 20 years in the American church rearranging the furniture rather than doing major overhauling.
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I think you nailed it David.
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Don't believe the media's spin of this study reported on ABC and CNN and every news outlet known to man. (I am sure you are somewhat critical of the source material as I). There are more people per capita attending church than in any time in American history per another study. More people are engaging in Oprah than local churches is what this data really says–and immigration is part of the reason as well. I see positive things happening, breakthroughs and more.
We are still a spiritual people. The church has to actually offer biblical mysticism, per se. We need to tap into the supernatural part of our faith or not be afraid of how messy that is. The other thing, just because something does not appear to be "successful" does not mean it is not right. We still have the right message–Jesus. So, sticking to the basics of who Jesus is cannot be wrong, in my opinion.
It is not any more bleak than say 10 or 20 years ago. Actually, I feel the signs are there for renewal. But, are we ready to embrace it when it comes? I am not sure of that yet.
(btw, intense debate is annoying
)
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David Reply:
March 11th, 2009 at 9:07 am
I totally agree re not being ready to embrace it, and I think "coming to terms" with our supernaturality (new words ahoy) will be / is a big part of getting ready I reckon.
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Vince Reply:
March 11th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
Is spirituality lacking in American churches? Most seem to lean either towards a rule keeping faith or a neutered culture controlled faith.
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Yahhhh! I love talking about this stuff.
I like your last reply there. We either lean towards legalism or license. i believe part of this is that the church is starting to get gimicky, the world has enough gimicks and they do them better than we do. what we have that is unique is the gospel and the ability to share grace with others.
we need to create a culture of connecting with eachother in a real way, sometimes that can get ugly but its worth it i think. all of this has prob already been said.
you know how there is always that guy that says you should read this book and it will help?
I'M THAT GUY! ha ha ha ha
but seriously though i do like what Reggie McNeal has been saying lately:
http://www.amazon.com/Missional-Renaissance-Chang…
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I think as a culture we have given up on the idea of absolutes, particularly in the arena of absolute Truth. Everyone wants to decided for themselves their own morality/reality. Truth is substituted for rock and roll worship (nothing intrinsically wrong, mind you) and self help sermons, because nobody in this vast interdenominational sea can agree on anything concrete.
Community and compassion is great…loving your neighbor as yourself is great…but it's not the entire New Testament. There are accounts in the NT church of disagreement over doctrine (circumcision, eating 'unclean' meat). Such disagreements were not tolerated. The Jerusalem council met on each instance and made a ruling, and the church continued on in harmony.
I feel that the church universal makes a mockery of the faith Jesus Christ left us. After all, if he left the Holy Spirit to guide us in all truth, either the Holy Spirit is a horrible and untruthful guide, or we are to self centered to lay aside our presuppositions and pride to submit to any authority.
Having been created as spiritual beings, we pursue absolute Truth whether we admit it or not (Romans 1), but we have dismissed such a reality (at least at a surface level). Those outside the church and those that leave the church don't do so because the music sucks or the stage set has shag carpeting, they do so because truth has been put on the shelf.
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Oh yeah…I agree with Rich about spiritual mysticism…good call.
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You mean I can't just figure out some simple formula to guide my decisions? I have to rely on the Holy Spirit?
that's too hard.
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We are to busy going to church, and not being the Church.
There is a need to get beyond the concrete walls and find ways to live as Christ instructed.
We have to stop picking scripture that molds to our lives, and make out live mold to scripture. Christ's Truth is absolute, to live as he instructed we have to take the whole truth of His Word.
There is nothing wrong with going to church and biblical community, but if our spiritual life stops there we miss the real calling of what Christ modeled for us, and commanded us to do once we accept his truth. We are call not to be part of the world. Yes we are in the world, but we mus act as part of Christ's kingdom.
We argue and bicker over the proper worship music instead of showing the world unity in the message of Christ's truth. See 1 Corinthians, as Paul explains to the church that they should be unified in the message and good news of Christ.
In unity we can be the Church of Christ(his Bride) as he taught…
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some really solid thoughts here.
thanks for letting me ‘stalk’ around a bit.
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@joy we try. just stumbling through thoughts here. Thanks for stopping by.
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How do you think we move people in this direction?
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ckroboth Reply:
March 18th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
Churches must start teaching authentic Discipleship. Ultimately it is following the example of Christ who never sat still, was always on the move and finding ways to love others.
Honestly think it starts at the grass roots with one person taking a stand, then hopefully people follow Christ's example…
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