I started reading a disturbing book this week. It's called "UnChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity." It's disturbing, but good. Sort of like going to counseling or listening to the Old Testament Prophets. It could be the kind of information that leads to a transformation within the church.
The authors researched the opinions of 16 to 29 year olds who are not Christians. What they found was that nearly two out of every five [people in this group] claim to have a bad impression of present-day Christianity. Beyond this, one-third of [this group] said that Christianity represents a negative image with which they would not want to be associated.
What surprised me was that the bad impressions and negative images that this group holds had come from personal experience with the church [Christians] rather than just outside observation. The vast majority of this group went to church in high school and have heard the message of Christ. The reason they hold negative, even hostile, impressions of the church [Christians] is not because of any specific theological perspective. Their negative reactions come from what they have received from Christians.
As one person put it: "Most people I meet assume that Christian means very conservative, entrenched in their thinking, antigay, antichoice, angry, violent, illogical, empire builders; they want to convert everyone, and they generally cannot live peacefully with anyone who doesn't believe what they believe."
The survey found that the majority of 16 to 29 year olds perceive the church to be:
Anti-homosexual (91 percent)
Judgmental (87 percent)
Hypocritical (85 percent)
Too involved in politics (75 percent)
Out of touch with reality (72 percent)
Old Fashioned (78 percent)
Insensitive to others (70 percent)
Boring (68 percent)
Not accepting of other faiths (64 percent)
Confusing (61 percent)
What challenges me is not a desire to be "hipper or cooler" church to turn around these negative impressions of 16 to 29 year olds. I see this as a challenge for the church to embody Jesus more faithfully.
Here is a story to illustrate. It is an adaptation of a story from Sam Wells book "God's Companions."
There was a rural community that for years housed more cows and acreage than people. About 6 years ago this community began to see new development. Since then 10,000 new homes have been built which include people who are diverse culturally, spiritually and economically. As with any change, this one brought some hostility and mistrust over numerous issues. Neighbors, children and adults, bullied one another. Those with administrative or political power used it in ways that spread mistrust.
A new church which began around the beginning of this development had recently completed its first building and invited the community (particularly a number of prominent local people) to join together in an act of worship to mark this significant moment in the church's life.
Adults and children sat together. The service began with an opportunity for people to acknowledge mistakes and frustrations, and ended with a washing of feet for renewed service. Before the Scripture reading a candle was passed around every member of the congregation and each had an opportunity to say a sentence on the theme "what I have discovered in the last six years."
One person on the fringe of the church who had experienced a good deal of conflict said, "I have discovered that the things we have in common are much greater than the things that divide us." Another person, one of the most controversial and outspoken leaders in the neighborhood, looked around a the way adults and children listened to one another and the space that was given to people's imaginations, and said to everyone's amazement, "I have discovered that this church is the soul of this community."
There are times when we must confess that we are who we are perceived to be. But we also must confess that there is a larger story which has a greater claim upon us than our own failures. It is to that larger story that we must look and seek to embody. It is the larger story of Jesus' death and resurrection - the soul of the church.
2 comments:
"UnChristian" is a phenomenal book. It tells us what we really don't want to hear -- good medicine indeed. "They Like Jesus But Not The Church" is also a fascinating read in the same vein. In a post-modern age, personal experience (based on reality or perception) is a key element in our synthesis of Christianity (the whole). But did those comments really surprise you?
I want to represent a "thinking" Christian, as most outsiders think we are mindless sheep (leading to many of the listed perceptions). If God had wanted us to be sheep I reckon he would have given us no thoughts other than to graze and chew. This is not to say that there aren't many thinkers already -- we just need more of them (IMHO).
I found the "God's Companions" story insightful, but I really wonder if the typical Sunday services (which may be someone's only contact with the church body) are enough to inspire such inward reflection. I just don't see it happening unless an extraordinary effort is made to gather the body. Everyone is in such a hurry to get in and get out of church (just a perception in my mind -- of course).
In the consulting business we have an activity called mind mapping where we meet and "map-out" our thoughts on an organization (based on short term observations). No "that's stupid" or "let's move on" statements are allowed. Then we sort through these ideas as a group and come up with cohesive improvement plans. It is during these sessions we build very strong ties to one another, because we are able to peer inside each others open minds. Why can't we apply these techniques to the church? A chance for us to reflect on where we are, where we want to be, and how we're going to get there.
The Church (universal) can do this, but does it want to?
Good post. Interesting thoughts :-)
I like the "mind mapping" idea. From the perspective of discipleship it sounds like a great way to develop some great "Christ virtues" such as patience, humility and love (among others). Learning to listen to one another in the context of God's bigger story is a skill that has been neglected. One reason for that may be that this kind of thing won't "draw a big crowd." Plus, it might be perceived as a waste of time in our "I'm busy and got things to do" culture. But if we are willing to invest in this practice for "corporate America" why not "Corporate Jesus" [the church]?
Maybe this kind of thing would make us capable of an act of worship like the one described in the "God Companion" story?
I'm ready.
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