Searching for Meaning and Purpose...

If consumerism and tradition/changeolatry (yeah, that's not actually a word- and I may not be Bill Shakespeare- but it's what we're going with!) wasn't enough hard analysis, today we hit on an even bigger issue leading to a loss of being the church in exchange for doing church. Many churchgoers operate on a simple, consumerist principle: I come to church for me.  At their church the message and music may be extraordinary (or not- and they'll complain about it without ever taking any steps to help), but it stops there because it's all about them staring at the back of someone else's head for an hour each Sunday! There's no life and nothing outside of that meeting, because no one connects beyond, "Hi my name's X," "Good morning!" or "The peace of Christ be with you," and a handshake or hug.  Perhaps they pay lip service to "Life Groups," "Fellowship Hours," or "Sunday school classes" and tal...

While the consumer mindset and it's influence on the church have largely been negative, there are lots of other issues that we have yet to address that leads people to "go" to church rather than "be" the church. One of those issues is the tension (or outright warfare!) between tradition and change.  Now, don't hear me saying that tradition is a bad thing, because it's not.  However, worshipping tradition over Jesus is not okay!  I'm also not saying change is bad, deciding to change things for the wrong reasons or not being anchored in truth are! Now, in a great many churches, the phrase oft heard is, "But we've never done it that way!"  This is both a denial of any possible need to do other things and a refutation of whatever idea is being presented.   It's fear at its most basic.  There is no need to analyze or extrapolate, the simple truth is they are afraid of losing their comfortable little world.  It's another sterilizati...

When we talk about the church, we tend to think of it as a spectator sport.  You go somewhere, listen to the worship band, hear a sermon, & leave.  Maybe you sing along, you might even be tempted to take notes because your pastor is amazing, possibly you drop some cash in the plate, but that tends to be the extent for most of us.  Why?  What caused the church to become something we went to instead of how we lived?  That's the question that bugs me and I'll be looking at a few ideas in the coming weeks... First, the consumer mindset.  How often have you heard the term, "church shopping?"  Referring to people checking out churches, looking for one that makes them happy, has the right slate of programs, makes them feel at home; not actually doing shopping for the church (although if you ask I can give you a shopping list for my student ministry and you can go get everything on it you want for us!). It is so prevalent throughout our society and cul...

Last time I talked a bit about the issues raised by this article ( Youth Groups Driving Teens to Abandon their Faith ) and looked at some of the truths presented.  Now I want to tackle it's primary issues head on and address the problems. 1. Research Methodology Anyone can pull a survey and call it research- especially when you're slating the results.  Their "research" was a survey on their website that if you answered gave you a copy of their movie. Who do you think would be answering their survey?  Strangely enough, people who agree with their basic premise creating and reinforcing their presuppositions but giving it the title "research." Last time I checked, research meant checking a random sample group to determine an honest result?  Hmm... major red flags right here.  Anyone claiming "research" or "study" and doing things only to reinforce their ideas is both intellectually dishonest and attempting to deceive people for the sake o...

First, breathe- I haven't lost my calling, conviction, or mind!  Then go read this.   http://www.charismanews.com/us/41465-youth-groups-driving-christian-teens-to-abandon-faith .  Now, let's talk about it. As someone who has devoted my life to teenagers knowing Christ & making Christ known, things that are slanted towards a specific end and involve generalities instead of specifics irk me.  However, they also make me evaluate and think about valid points that are made.  We'll start with valid points- 1.  Family based discipleship is God's plan ( " It is the parents' primary obligation to disciple their own children, impressing God's commandments upon them in the home on a daily basis." ) Totally true.  If you cannot see that in the communal context of Deuteronomy 6, read it again (particularly 4-7): Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone.   And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and al...