What happened to the Church?
This question has been in the forefront of my mind for the
past several months as I have watched the news, and read articles about how our
church has lost its influence. I grew up
in the 70’s and 80’s (I was born in 1960) and throughout my teen years and in
my 20’s the churches had an impact on society and yes even the culture. I remember the Moral Majority, whether you
agreed with their position or not affected the political, educational,
employment, and yes even the very foundation of our culture, no matter if you
were in agreement with them or their political affliction; they were a force to
be reckoned with.
I remember organizations (especially sports teams) wanting
to have games or events on Sunday morning, and churches coming together to stop
them. My high school or local college
would have never thought about having their graduation at 10 a.m. on Sunday
Morning. Now I sit in shock, as I hear
of Christian parents telling how they spend all day Sunday at a soccer field or
other sporting event with their kids. A friend was recently invited to another
friend’s daughter’s graduation on a Sunday morning. I hear of families that go camping every
weekend throughout the summer and miss church and then make excuses about how
it is ok.
I’m going to very
BLUNT, I believe that we have the problems throughout America and the
world, epically around the mass shootings at schools and other places,
accusation of sexual misconduct, suicide,
the excess amount of hate and bullying we see in our society because the
Church has disappeared from its true calling.
I have spent the past 39 years in some form of Pastoral Ministry,
serving as a Pastor, Children’s Pastor, Associate Pastor, and Bible College
Instructor.
I
will ask my question again, “What happened to the Church?”
The Church has lost its way, we have got tied up in Liberal
Theology, Social Justice, Feminist Theology, and yes even into the racism,
abortion, and any other thousands of issues that can’t be resolved until the
church returns to its True Mission! I
think the church has become a NON-Relevant factor in society, politics, the
family, and yes within our own homes because it has focused on all the other
things, and what Christ didn’t call the essentials.
Christ set a clear mandate (At least how I see it) … Win people to Christ, Make Disciples, and
Love People! When and only when we
get back to this will we see the world change!
We
will see racism become outdated; we will see hate speech stop; mass shootings
or killings like the ones we see every weekend in our communities stop; and
when the church and their Pastors come down from their personal soap box and
follow the Mandate for the church as set by Christ! “Bring
people to a personal relationship with Christ, discipling in their walk, and
Loving people.” Why? Because the
world will see Christ for who He is, and lives will be changed for the better
and historically when the church is doing what it is called to do, there is
transformation of good in society.
A
friend read this as I was typing it and said, “That is to Blunt” …
The
reality is that we have too many Pastors, and church members claiming to do
church, but not doing Christ’s Mandate. Honestly,
I’m personally getting tired of hearing hate speeches, racism, shootings,
suicides, and all the other things that are consuming our society while the
church is sitting on the sideline and does the social club experience and not
engage in the solution!
We want society and people to change!
The church has to change first! It is time to go back to the basics. What is
the Mandate? “Win people to Christ, Make Disciples, and
Love People! When and only when we
get back to this will we see the world change “
