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In 1979 the writer Henri Nouwen said that "I am afraid that in a few decades time the church will be accused of having failed in its most basic task: to offer people creative ways to communicate with the source of human life."
Guess Who Doesn't Believe In God?
Ten percent of Protestants, 21 percent of Roman Catholics, and 52 percent of Jews do NOT believe in God.
More interesting stats
A note to readers of these thoughts: As a pastor, I need to be able to think out loud and express my opinions. This does not require you to agree with me.
11-04-03
O.k., I'm back. I'm not sure that spiritual seekers are as adverse to Christ as they are to those who offer him. For the last 30 years, the church has lived by the metaphor of a warrior. We have spent our time grabbing people by the throat and forcing Jesus on them. We have demanded that everyone recognize the Christian world view as the only story that is valid. I think the church needs to rethink its metaphors and identity. We need to realize that our story - the story of Christ - is one of many . . . not the only one. It now has to compete in the world of ideas and reality. Do I personally think it is true? Of course, but my job is simply to announce the coming of the King, and the peace that he offers to us through his death and resurrection. My job is not to brandish a sword and demand that the rest of the world recognize Jesus. My job as a minister of reconciliation is to cultivate faith, not demand belief.
Mega Churches: Yes, they are consumer driven. If you look at it from a generational point of view, then you begin to conclude that mostly boomers attend mega churches. Yes, I know that there are some genXers and genYers at mega churches, but they are a minority, and I believe they won't stick around. The Boomer generation is one of the most consumer driven, greedy, ego-centric generations of the last 200 years. I believe that when they begin to die off, so will the megachurches. Another interesting thought is that most mega churches grow from the death of smaller churches that cannot compete with all that the mega church has to offer. It really is the Wal-Mart vs. small local business idea. One last thought on mega churches, if the article that I put a link to is correct, then 26% of the population in the U.S. is going to church on a regular basis - I'm wondering if the mega church is really working.
Yah or Yeah God Music: I don't want to offend anyone with that comment, but you must realize that music informs our theology. This is why Luther wrote such great theological hymns and then put them to bar tunes. He knew this was how an illiterate community could learn about God. In this day and age - music and musicians are our prophets and storytellers. They help express our inexpressible emotions, and they help us understand how to respond to the each other and the world around us. I honestly believe that maranatha, the vineyard, and now the Time Life worship cd movement have done a great disserves to the Christian community by putting out some very weak (theologically) and lazy (musically) music. This is why I think Bono and U2 have been the worship leaders of the church for the last 25 years.
I put the Nouwen quote up because I think his prophecy has come true. |
