Well... there I am sitting around a table at a church potluck for a special occasion and it comes up again about how someone is trying to invite someone to church but they had a real bad experience and...
The 'AND' is this. The church as we know it is dead and we would all be doing better service to God and ourselves if we could go with the flow. If you go to an arena or a satellite station mega ministry or are hunkered down in a little church hanging on to it's last member with an endowment or a parking lot that pays for the expenses then probably there's still some life to feel.
But is that living? My suggestion is this. Why not find what speaks to people about the Gospel. Why not set up some listening stations instead of churches? Why not just sit and hear what people have to say about their faith walk.
If you're liturgical , your place is probably growing. Why? Because people are eager to be in the presence of God. If you're mainline Protestant we can probably hear a death gurgle. Why? Because there isn't enough God in worship. Because, as one famous theologian said, denominations have become about who has the best retirement plan for pastors.
It is NOT bad news that the church is dying or dead. What is bad news is that we are sitting shiva. Let the dead bury the dead. That was Jesus' mandate. Let the dead bury the dead...and then walk off with Jesus to see who the new people are he is going to listen to and speak hope and healing to that day.
Walk brother and sister...Walk into the light!
Love,
Deborah
Monday, July 16, 2012
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