As a Canadian newspaper recently pointed out, the Fourth of July festivities and celebrations throughout the United States served as a bit of escape from some grim realities: a rapidly spiraling debt problem, an inept political machine, an unpopular war, and a persistent economic recession — just to name a few.
And while I personally enjoyed the distraction, I must admit that it will take more than fireworks and franks to get my mind off these colossal issues that threaten to choke the very life from our republic should a sharp and effective course correction not be made — and soon.
If you read this blog often, then you know that I am a huge advocate for personal responsibility. In contrast to the philosophies opined in the news media, pointing fingers and assigning blame is truly of little help. That’s where the church comes in.
You see, I believe that Christians have a responsibility to do something phenomenal in today’s American society — something that could radically transform the face of the Church as we know it. And yes, I understand that few facets of our economy have been so hard-hit financially as churches and non-profit organizations. When the budget gets squeezed at home, those expenses are among the first deemed ‘discretionary’ — like it or not. Just yesterday I was contacted by yet another ministry colleague whose staff position will be eliminated at the end of the year.
As a realist and a pragmatist, I struggle with optimism. I’m a pretty black-and-white kind of guy. I’m fine with calling a spade a spade, although I probably won’t waste my time trying to convince those who don’t necessarily see things my way. But here’s what I think: I believe that the church in 21st century America has the potential to transform society in ways not seen since the days of the early church, as described in the book of Acts.
As states follow the nation’s lead and assume higher and higher levels of debt, vital services will be significantly reduced, if not eliminated altogether. These services include healthcare, counseling, education, and childcare. And there are ways for the Church to step up to the plate and assume responsibility for filling in the gaps that, quite frankly, it should have been doing all along.
Somewhere along the way, the American Church began to take on the attitude of its typical parishioners. The Church began to believe that its effectiveness was largely dependent upon some of the most superficial things — like state-of-the-art facilities, larger-than-life personalities, highly specialized niche ministries, and entertainment-based programming.
In fact, I would argue that this is still the model of the local church that many so-called pastors, priests, or shepherds would esteem as the pinnacle of success.
They would be wrong. Dead wrong. Continue Reading…
