Last week the focus was on identifying who Christ is. This week is about identifying his disciples,
Today's worship was like looking in a fun house mirror of the soul and seeing different reflections. Pastor Michelle referenced in her sermon research by the California-based research firm The Barna Group which found that church attitudes about people in general and gays in particular are driving a negative image of the Christian faith among people ages 16-29. A majority of those young people in America describe modern-day Christianity as judgmental, hypocritical and anti-gay. What's more, many Christians don't even want to call themselves "Christian" because of the baggage that accompanies the label.
All this stuff is in my head after years fo working through this when the Believe group (an Oregon Synod team of lay and clergy) tried to craft how churches might try an adaptive solution rather than a technical solution.
Here is a dump of my head knowledge (which I will put this knowledge in italics for those who wish to skip this kind of understanding) starting with the differences in how church was viewed by different generations:
Builder Generation - Church is THE place.
Boomer Generation - Church is A place.
Millennial Generation - Church is NO place.
Personally I believe this is more about cultural expectations. The culture expected and needed church during a certain time period to be THE place. Later it became A place for the culture and now it is not regarded as important in today's social culture.
The key is our journey together to understand how worship can become important to others rather than simply looking at ourselves as the model. Creator could increase action and social justice but the church will always play catch-up to partner organizations who specialize in particular actions.
Also institutions are currently viewed with suspicion. Since the rise of the Religious Right in politics, 9/11, the Catholic clergy scandals etc... there is a sense that religion is mired in problems rather than any sort of solution.
Pastor Michelle sent many of us a link where the author observed:
Now, imagine someone is looking for a church. They are looking for a church with a commitment to following Jesus at its core and they show up at a social commitment church. It would be like showing up for a soccer team that stopped playing soccer years ago, and who instead gathers for coffee and donuts with friends and family. But this gathering of people still call themselves a soccer team.Now imagine members of that “soccer team” wringing their hands week after week over the fact that no one wants to join the team to clean up coffee and pick up the donuts. You can see why soccer players looking for a team wouldn’t join. You can see why many members of the team left a long time ago.
We talk about not having the pat answers to spiritual questions as a Creator strength and I think it is. At the same time we need to be cognizant that we are on the spiritual journey with individuals as a community. That journey of coming to a place of peace with the questions they do have needs to be taken with people as well,
Heart knowledge for me. I don't know if people would know I follow Jesus by the love I show. I know many people who are not Christians who show greater love than me to their fellow man.
Finally back to the young people's feel about Christians. First, I doubt this is confined to young people. I felt this when I was young (excluding the anti-gay because that just wasn't talked about). Now I am both too hard and too easy on myself and whether I am leading a Christian centered life because I know there are different answers for that at different times. Mostly I feel this is a valid critique. I find I do judge and I am a hypocrite. Isn't that part of being human?
When most of us are asked about being Christian the question assumes or implies this is more or less a permanent state. I am reminded of a Peter Rollins lecture clip that I will leave with you here.
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