The late Elton Trueblood’s statement in 1979 still rings
true today:
Perhaps the greatest
single weakness of the contemporary Christian Church is that millions of
supposed members are not really involved at all and, what is worse, do not
think it strange that they are not.
Elton Trueblood is of course speaking of involvement in the
life, worship and ministry of the church. Yet, the involvement he speaks of is
not one that proceeds out of duty or “have-to-do-this” but an involvement that
proceeds from people in process of becoming spiritually mature. This kind of
involvement is the natural result of persons growing in Christlikeness.
Therefore, the greatest single weakness of the contemporary Christian Church is
– in other words – that millions of members who say they believe in Jesus
Christ don’t have as a personal priority a desire to be in relationship with
that Jesus.
George Barna has found in his own research of the Christian
Church that millions of church members lack the passion, perspective,
priorities, and perseverance to develop spiritual lives. As a result they begin
celebrating the wrong things. Halloween becomes a bigger celebration than
Christmas, conquest over one’s personal enemies more important than forgiveness
and reconciliation, material success trumps sacrificial lifestyles that would
permit more resources to be poured into the work of the church.
The result, of course, is a church that is trying to reach
the world without genuine disciples among its membership. I have to agree with
Trueblood – this is the single greatest weakness of the contemporary Christian
Church.
Through this blog it is my intention to cast a personal
vision of God’s claim upon us as a people of God – and the intersection of
personal faith and culture. Followers of Christ should serve the common good.
This is the shared conviction of many great thinkers of the faith such as
Lesslie Newbigin and Miroslav Volf. My hope is a growing dissatisfaction with
“membership without relationship with Jesus.” As that dissatisfaction increases
so will there be an increase in the power of the local church to impact the
local community for God’s kingdom.
Joy,
Doug
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