Leaving and Searching

Back in February of this year, the New York Times National released a survey that indicated over 44% of adults say they have left the faith of their childhood [Neela Banerjee, “Poll Finds a Fluid Religious Life Among Americans,” Feb. 26, 2008]. This survey reveals interesting and crucial insights for the future of the church.

Professor Stephen Prothero, chairman of the religion department at Boston University offers this explanation: “The trend is toward more personal religion, those [churhes] losing out are offering impersonal religion.”

So, what is the difference between personal religion and impersonal religion? This question begs a deeper analysis that I can give it here. However, allow me to make some observations.

First, this is the elephant in the room that no one has wanted to talk about in our fellowship for years. Every congregation I have served has had a number of elders, deacons, teachers, and members whose children have left the church and chosen another denomination. While talking to those children [many of whom are boomers now], I have discovered that they rejected the traditions and forms, and were in a quest for a meaningful and less judgmental fellowship. They have in effect been the divine kick in the pants to our fellowship.

Second, when relationships are ignored rebellion is not far behind. Form and tradition by the time it reaches the third and fourth generations becomes empty and hollow. The two greatest commands have been ignored and replaced by the minutiae of external forms. The quenching of the Spirit has been the result.

Thirdly, the Restoration Movement plea has been our own Achilles heel. A plea for unity has become a pronouncement of arrival. We must never forget that the spiritual journey is a movement toward the Lord. We must welcome the questions, the searching and the quest of the next generation. Maybe we are raising in our midst the next Stone, Campbells, Scotts to challenge authority and tradition that has obscured the freedom of Christ and the good news of Jesus.
Let us offer the cup of love and understanding for individuals in such a state of fluidity!
In Christian love, Curtis