Thursday 1 August 2013

Thoughts from the angry dome: for the love of Jesus, go to church.

Why Millennials are leaving the church. Hmm. If someone were to ask me why Millennials are leaving the church, my unfiltered response would be "because we're self-obsessed megabrats with little to no concern for things beyond our current vision?"

Brett McCracken had some more reasonable things to say:

I’m a Millennial, but I am weary of everyone caring so much about why Millennials do this or don’t do that. I’m sorry Millennials, but I’m going to have to throw us under the bus here: we do not have everything figured out. And if we expect older generations and well-established institutions to morph to fit our every fickle desire, we do so at our peril.

Part of the problem is that Millennials are consumers first, creators second. In an age where we have been formed and informed by and through instant gratification, we like seeing and taking and ingesting, but not as much serving or giving. So maybe Millennials are leaving the church because, ultimately, Millennials are lazy.

Don't get me wrong: some of the issues with the church are no doubt true. Some of the problems with the church are definitely real. Some of the concerns are worth consideration. But I have a message for twenty-something believers who are considering leaving the church, or who don't go to church because they find too many problems:

Do you despise hypocrisy in the church? Here's a bit of news: the church isn't Jesus. Believers go to church because we need Jesus. (Surprise!)

We might be hypocrites, we might fail, we might be broken. Jesus isn't. Jesus loves us. Jesus has fixed and is fixing us. Or had you forgotten the beauty of the gospel? Let me remind you:

The church isn't Jesus. Believers aren't God. We're saved and sanctified by him, not by ourselves. And thank God for that!

Don't leave a church because their mistakes and fumbles move your faith backwards. Go to church, stay, pray, and trust God to use you to move their faith forwards.

Don't leave a church because you think they might hold on to false or misinterpreted teachings. Go to church, challenge them, and be prepared to be challenged. Walking away is easy. Staying and growing (and helping others grow) is difficult. If God can use seed-sized faith, if God can "bring his truth through the mouth of a mule", then he can surely use you.

Don't leave a church because you "don't find Jesus there". Go to church and bring Jesus there!

If you want to worship Jesus authentically in church, go to church and worship Jesus. Why wait for the church to be all you think it needs to be? Go and be authentic. Your example just might change the church.

If you want to see believers being real instead of fake, be real instead of fake. Be an example. You just might lead others into authenticity.

You want authenticity? Stay in the church and bring it. 

Jesus loves the church. If you love Jesus, you ought to love his Bride. You ought to love what he loves.

So for the love of Jesus, go to church.

2 comments:

  1. It's usually cyclical. I doubt humanity is suddenly throwing superstition away. Meet new boss, same as old boss.

    Greatest mistake was probably getting involved with politicians. So much so that few see a difference between what they call fundamentalist Christians and a political ideology.

    As to a generation somehow being seen as worse than a previous:

    "The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for
    authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place
    of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their
    households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They
    contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties
    at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers." -Kenneth John Freeman
    ^ complaints against young people in ancient times.

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  2. Well I've had a change of heart, some millennials should probably go to church. If for no other reason than to keep them grounded. Some people can't handle that you may have the liberty to do something...doesn't mean you should. :O

    http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/webdr03/2013/8/25/21/anigif_enhanced-buzz-4786-1377481549-22.gif

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By swallowing evil words unsaid, no one has ever harmed his stomach. ~Winston Churchill

Smart guy.