This morning’s USAToday published a groundbreaking article on religion in America. The study is incredibly comprehensive (check out the charts, graphs, videos and interviews).
These are interesting religious times in America. As I officiated a funeral yesterday, communicating hope and comfort to a roomful of people unacquainted with God, I was reminded of the peculiar era we find ourselves in as a country. If there ever was a time where we needed churches thinking differently, courageously and contextually it is now.
What are your thoughts?
Are you concerned?
It is old news?
How should we respond appropriately?
pberry said...
1We’ve been suspecting this for a while and this confirms it. Unfortunately, we’re still in a place of finger-pointing. Conservatives will blame the break down of truth. Liberals will blame the marriage of Christianity to the Republican agenda. Moderates will blame some combination there of. Emergents will blame the Conservatives and the Liberals.
The only proper response is to get over ourselves, repent, and get on God’s agenda for the country and be willing to accept whatever that looks like. May God give us the courage, creativity, and energy to complete such a task!
03/9/09 12:57 PM | Comment Link
lew said...
2Having grown up in a seriously religious community (Methodist Camp Meeting), I saw that for generations people have been guilted, feared, intimidated and forced to act/live/behave religiously in places they saw filled with false people, hidden truths and blatant deceit that they are abandoning the church.
Sounds familiar. Jesus rejected his church (temple). And was rejected by his temple.
A few days ago you posed a link Live Like Jesus. Well? We (as the greater community of Christ) don’t.
I think we need to reach out to our churched neighbors as much as we reach out to the unchurched. Some of our churched neighbors desire an authentic relationship instead of a sunday 3 hymn, 2 prayer 1 message relationship with HIM.
03/9/09 4:09 PM | Comment Link
m.t.g. said...
3The statistics certainly validate the case for a fresh expression. As Jesus condemned the Pharisees for whitewashing their tombs, I feel that a small number of Christians are starting to poke their heads out of their own squeeky clean taj mahals. They might not be running out the doors, dancing naked before the Lord, but I’ve begun to see glimpses of head scratching, even in my conservative-baptist-past. Maybe I see this through renew-colored glasses, but that’s my perspective and I’ve been looking for it.
Sure, I entertain no pipe-dream that it’s happening everywhere; for there will still be the 3-piece-suit, 2-a-sunday, hell-fire-n-brimstone crowd. However, I have begun to see how “being Jesus” and truly not being ashamed, is easier than I thought it was. When you try and emulate Christ and not a set of legalistic creedos, loving people becomes much purer.
To quote the over-played and over-sung song, “when the music fades and all is stripped away, and I simply come…” It’s a whole lot simpler when it’s all about Jesus and the “heart” of worship, and not the “house” of worship.
I’m glad for the survey. I hope that we decrease so that Christ may increase.
03/10/09 7:59 PM | Comment Link