The American Church : Part 1

I started re-reading a book called An Unstoppable Force by Erwin McManus.  (Honestly, I would start a book and read like 1/3 of a book, and never finish.  So, I am re-reading the first 3rd and reading the last part... Hopefully.)  Reading and re-reading the book made me realize a few things about the state of the church.  Are we propelling or are we failing?

The book, in summary, is about the current state of American churches.  McManus talks about how most traditional churches are just surviving.  Wrapped in politics and legalism, the current church cares mostly about maintaining what's within and not focused on serving humanity.

I really like this sentence from the first chapter of McManus's book:

"The purpose of the church cannot be to survive or even thrive but to serve... the church is not called to survive history but to serve humanity."

I'll be frank: the word "unchurched" gets on my nerves.  They want to distinguish those who never been to church with those who are constantly and religiously going.  But the heart of the matter is, there are those who were very well "churched": growing up they go to Sunday School, they participate in all things Youth Ministry, wear their WWJD bracelet faithfully, are in the in-crowd of their youth.  Come to college, they realize, "The church my parents went to is their church."  Many people fall away for whatever reason, blaming the very politics and legalism of their home church, vowing never to go back to that church again.  We are faced with a generation who are just sick of traditional church.

Likewise, those who go to church religiously is just that: religious.  Some of these could care less about the hearts of the sheep... All they care about is their popularity status at church.  Are they in the committee with the church pastors, are they tithing the most, are they wearing the most modest clothing, are they friends with all the "right" people?

Most of the traditional churches have lost their focus... Actually they lost their focus when doctrines were created.  And what worked 50-75 years ago is not working anymore.  Some of these had lead to more books on how to worship and how to perform a service and created check-list on how to be a Christian.  These books then lead to rituals, which lead to legalism and judgment.  A lot of seminaries that are connected to a denomination teaches mainly on how to run a church like a business.

Church is not a business.  It is a body of believers, creating a community of hope for humanity.

Okay, but just to be clear, I do respect some of these traditional church.  I think a few of them have realized that change is needed in order to reach and serve the community.  There are many wonderful traditional churches I will or may go to from time to time.  I do love hymns.  And for all churches, a statement of faith is important or a creed.

But the traditional churches I'm talking about, you know who you are.  You're the very church that many people do not like, and to say it quite plainly, they hate. A church structure that was relevant 50-75 years ago is falling apart.  Culture is changing most rapidly and some of the churches are not keeping up.