I debated for a few days whether or not I should write about this article. Then I decided it was just too interesting and important to pass up. I think this is a significant trend that Christians should be aware of, whether they agree with everything in the article or not. Chances are, a number of my readers fit this article as well.
So before I say anything else, read this article: When Christians Quit Church.
Then read the following comments about the article I found on another blog (daveblackonline.com):
Buddy Walker responds to this essay.
Interesting article. However, like your reader who sent in the link, I fear the writer is missing the whole point. They say Rick Warren is something people are running "to." I think he's one of the things people are running "from." It's almost impossible to find a church that isn't using his materials and ideas anymore. I certainly couldn't find one in this area so I gave up looking. One of my criticisms of most churches is their music. I love the old hymns AND the new hymns. The key word being "hymns." I personally DESPISE repetition and just can not abide the little choruses (I refer to them as jingles) where one sings the first couple of lines twice or more, then another couple of lines and then the first couple over a couple of more times. That is so inane and meaningless to me. We have hundreds of theologically sound hymns available to uplift, encourage, and inspire us. The "Sesame Street" type jingles do absolutely nothing for me.
And I understand Warren also puts out "canned sermons" or sermon outlines to follow his 40 days program. In my former church, I could tell within the first 5 minutes or so of the pastor's sermon when he was following someone else's outline. I could get more from reading one of Spurgeon's sermons at home. I've tried preaching someone else's sermons and could never make it fly. Maybe others can, but not me.
But I think this is one of the things, (or a couple) from which the "stayaway saints" are fleeing. They, and I, are seeking true, meaningful, heartfelt worship to, and service for our Living Saviour. Not happy clappy, feel good, what's in it for me, services. Perhaps I'm wrong. But that is what I've seen and heard in my personal experience.
I've read on some websites that people see a huge revival happening in this country. I must ask, "Where?" I certainly don't see it. Not real, true Biblical revival such as we see in Acts. Although I would truly love to see that since I see no hope for this country or this world unless it comes. I pray for it. I hope all Christians are praying likewise. And for the soon coming of our Lord Jesus.
In Christ,
Buddy
I found this article and the response so interesting because David and I have observed this phenomena all around us and have even struggled with it ourselves. When I read this article, I could easily think of about a dozen couples/families we know who have given up going to church, who are only very nominally involved, or who go to a church they don’t like but feel compelled to go because they have children and they have to go somewhere. These people are like those mentioned in the article - very committed Christians who take their faith seriously. They love Christ and want to follow Christ. But they are so fed up and frustrated with the church. In almost every case, it is for the very reasons that Buddy mentioned in his response to the article. For the most part, I would say that David and I have the same struggles Buddy mentioned.
We are highly committed to being in a church, being a part of a community, worshipping in spirit and in truth, using our gifts, etc. However, we have found it incredibly challenging to find a place. We live in a city with literally hundreds of churches and have really struggled to find a place to belong.
Before we married, we both had good experiences in our churches. David was at his church for ten years and I was at my church for nine years. They were not perfect churches but we were fed meaty sermons, participated in meaningful worship, used our gifts and had opportunities for community. We have both experienced what it is like to be in a good church where you are actively involved in meaningful, Biblical ways. Once you experience that, it is really hard to settle for anything else.
In our eight years of marriage we have been members of two churches, have been actively involved attenders at a couple of more and visited another couple of dozen more. We have tried very hard to find a place to belong, but in each case there were things that we could not look past.
I have to be honest. I see why people give up. We’ve visited churches where no one spoke to us. We’ve visited a church where we could not find a place to sit because people had their Bibles all spread out and turned us away from their pew because they were saving seats so we ended up sitting behind a support beam where we could not see. (I’m not kidding.) If people like us, who really want to find a church home, are discouraged and turned off by what we experience, why in the world would someone less committed keep trying?
We have gone through periods where we worshipped at home. It isn’t what God teaches in His Word, but sometimes we just needed a break and couldn’t deal with the visiting thing any longer. But we get back out there and keep trying.
I don’t have all the answers. As I write this, we still have not found a church home. We have been visiting someplace, but don’t feel convinced this is where we will end up.
There are people out there trying to make a difference such as Doug Phillips of Vision Forum and the National Center for Family Integrated Churches. David and I think a lot of Doug Phillips and the work he is doing on behalf of families and the church. So I do have hope that things will improve, maybe even in my lifetime. I would tend to agree with the view in the article that perhaps the stayaway saints trend is an indication that good things could be ahead. People are fed up with the seeker-sensitive movement and the havoc it has brought upon the church. People are fed up with the watered down sermons and lack of community in the megachurches. Maybe there is hope.
I have said to David several times over the past year that I believe in the future when people look back on these recent decades, these years will be seen as a very dark time in the life of the church. So often when we are living in history we don’t clearly understand what is going on. I truly believe that we are (unfortunately) living through a very low time in church history. Can God break in and change things? Of course He can and we should be praying that He will. But unfortunately we are the victims (for lack of a better word) of decades of poor and unbiblical choices by church leadership here in the Western church.
I feel like I’ve written just enough to be dangerous and that I haven’t done justice to a lot of the topics I’ve touched on here. Perhaps I will return to some of them in the future. But there’s probably plenty of food for thought here for now.
Great is the LORD, and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, his holy mountain. It is beautiful in its loftiness, the joy of the whole earth…For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.
But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.
Some people group it with Saturday and call it “the weekend”.
Putting out the pansy pots on the front steps