CRYING FOR THE MAINLINE CHURCH

      I think my pension will be safe, but I'm concerned about the future of the mainline church, whose membership numbers are in free-fall. In an effort to be relevant, these churches are becoming more and more irrelevant because their "relevancy" has never been anchored in the world, or in any social position. The "only thing" that the church has to offer the world is Christ, but Christ is more than enough. The world already has social gatherings, and committee work, and wonderful music, and Christmas plays, and forums where people can exert influence and exercise power. The world already has all sorts of social service clubs, counseling centers, food banks, and meeting rooms. But the world does NOT have Christ, who is the bread of life, the light of the world, and the giver of life.
      Of course, churches need ways of doing things. They need an organization, and while I'm not much for meetings, I do love fellowship events. We also need to feed the poor, clothe the naked, and heal others... but these ministries must come out of our relationship with Christ... because Christ is all that we have to offer. Unless we (as a church) are inviting people to know Christ and helping them to grow in Christ, we can't possibly be relevant... because that is what churches are supposed to do. Scripture tells us that the early church devoted itself to Bible study, prayer, communion, and love of one another, which they showed in concrete ways. Their members were called "Christians" because they had given themselves to Christ, and they showed this by living in ways that stood distinctly apart from society's ways. The powers-that-be considered them odd, but even they gave Christians praise for the depth of love that they showed to one another.
      Churches are assemblies of people who have chosen to live sacrificially for Christ and to forgive one another 70 times 7, and when we really do these things, others will take notice because no one else is offering them the chance to discover real freedom and purpose. In a world where people feel isolated, unforgiven, and fearful of being known, there is a great need for the inviting, forgiving, and healing love of Christ! This is what people need. This is the church's purpose. This is our relevancy, and it cannot be replaced by other causes and agendas. There is a lot to be done in a broken and hurting world, no doubt, and the church must not be blind to this. However, the answer we have to give is Christ. Christ crucified and risen. Christ is our source of life, purpose and relevancy... or so it seems to me. This brief blog will not turn the tide. I know that, and I know that the kingdom of God will be just fine without the mainline church. But I feel really, really sad for the thousands of members that we are letting down, and for the untold numbers of people that we could have introduced to Christ.