What Should We Do With the Six Major Trends Reported by the Barna Group?

The Barna Group recently released their analysis of research from the past year that reveals six major religious trends in America. Barna calls them "megathemes."

The six trends are:

1. The Christian Church is becoming less theologically literate. For example, research in 2010 showed that while most people regard Easter as a religious holiday, only a minority of adults associate Easter with the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

2. Christians are becoming more ingrown and less outreach-oriented. Less than one-third of born again Christians planned to invite anyone to join them at a church event during the Easter season.

3. Growing numbers of people are less interested in spiritual principles and more desirous of learning pragmatic solutions for life. Spiritual practices like contemplation, solitude, silence, and simplicity are rare, while the importance of lifestyle comfort, success, and personal achievements is growing.

4. Among Christians, interest in participating in community action is escalating. Christians are becoming more open to involvement in the community, especially as it pertains to justice and service.

5. The postmodern insistence on tolerance is winning over the Christian Church. Possibly because of the fear of being labeled judgmental, Christians have become tolerant of a vast array of morally and spiritually dubious behaviors and philosophies.

6. The influence of Christianity on culture and individual lives is largely invisible. While contemporary Americans find it difficult to identify any specific value that the Church has added to society, they have no problem identifying the faults of the churches and Christian people.

My question: How should we address these issues? According to the Barna Group, "The Christian Church is in desperate need of a more positive and accessible image ... and the most influential aspect of Christianity in America is how believers do — or do not — implement their faith in public and private."

Empowerment

I have begun reading former President George W. Bush's book "Decision Points." Its about his eight years as President focusing on what he believes are the major decisions that will solidify his legacy. I was pleasantly pleased to discover that the first decision he discusses is that of his faith. In the opening paragraphs of the first chapter titled, "Quitting," he discusses his drinking problem and his ability to overcome it through his faith in Jesus Christ. He also concludes that first chapter by again talking about the impact that his faith not only had in defeating his addiction but how it would influence his life through the coming years.

As I began reading the second chapter, "Running," a statement of Bush grabbed my attention and caused me to reflect. As he helped his father, George H. W. Bush, run for re-election for President, the younger wrote, "I learned a valuable lesson about Washington: Proximity to power is empowerment. Having Dad's ear made me effective."

That quote got me thinking. What if we substituted heaven for Washington as location? And what if we substituted Jesus for power? And what if we substituted the Heavenly Father's ear for Dad's ear? The quote would then read, I learned a valuable lesson about Heaven: Proximity to Jesus is empowerment. Having the Heavenly Father's ear makes me effective.

Hum... Food for thought.

Love Well!

I heard a pastor friend the other day share these words, "Love well!"

Love is a very active word. It is filled with richness and depth. It goes beyond loving a thing such as a car or pet. Paul encouraged the church at Corinth with these words:

"Go after a life of love as if your life depended on it — because it does" (1 Cor. 14:1 Message)

In fact, Paul describes love as a verb by defining it in 1 Cor 13:4-7 (Message)

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

This my friend is "loving well." The greatest commandment is love God. The second is "Love others." The problem is we define who "others" are. God defines "others" as ALL. When will we stop choosing who to love and will start loving all? Its then that we will "love well."

Offenses

Sometimes wicked people hurt us, but more often good people offend us. What should we do when we become offended?

The Psalmist, David, in Psalm 37:3-11 has some good advice for us in dealing with offenses toward us by good people, even though he is speaking of wicked people that come against us. He talks about trusting, delighting, committing, being still, not fretting, refraining from anger, being meek.

I especially like verses 5 & 6: "Commit you way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun."

Verse 11 reads: "But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace."

It reminds me of Jesus' teachings in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-12).

Search our heart Lord.

An Inactive Weekend

This Labor Day weekend has been a pretty sedentary weekend as I have either been in the reclining chair or on the couch since Friday with some sort of cold,infection, or virus. Being a person that likes to be busy, I have been thinking of this long weekend as useless and a waste. But in some ways, I am once again reminded of the importance of down time.

I have been able to read a lot and reflect on my reading. In fact I have done a lot of reflecting on a particular reading in Mark, chapter 6. It is filled with good food for thought for the busy. The Book of Mark is a pretty quick read. The author, Mark, doesn't waste time making his points about who Jesus is. He does this by testifying to the wonderful and miraculous works of Jesus. Eleven times Mark uses the word "immediately." That word appears twice in chapter 6.

Throughout the gospel of Mark, Jesus is presented as the tireless servant both of God and to man. His prayer time is interrupted. Sometimes he didn't get to eat. It seemed that he was always yielding to the beckoning calls of needs surrounding him. His family thought he was unbalanced. He was constantly pursued, even when seeking rest. There was just no end to the seeming need.

This all brings me back to Mark 6. Servant ministry is draining: spiritually, emotionally, and physically.

Verses 1-6: Jesus experiences rejection by his own. We all want acceptance. There is an emotional toll when our giftings, talents, and abilities are not given opportunity to blossom.

Verses 7-13, 30-44: The needs of the people are never ending. The excitement and satisfaction of doing ministry and being a part of the spectacular is compelling. We only want to do more and help more. Jesus wanted the disciples to experience a rest, a quiet, a time of reflection and renewing. But, neither the disciples nor Jesus, were able to do so in that moment of time. They were faced with a hungry crowd. Twelve disciples end up distributing and serving 5 loaves and 2 fishes to 50-100 groups of people (5,000 men in all) with twelve baskets of leftovers having been gathered up afterward. we don't read if they had opportunity to partake of that food. There is a spiritual toll to be paid where there is no renewing.

Verses 45-52: Jesus did not allow the disciples any time to relish in or comprehend the miraculous feeding of the multitude. Instead we read, "Immediately Jesus made his disciples get in the boat and go ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd." Jesus then went up a mountain to pray. A storm came up. We read that the disciples were "straining at the oars." So far the disciples had experienced emotional and spiritual exhaustion. Now we see them experiencing the third...physical. Maybe if they had had time to eat, they would not have been straining at the oars. Yes, there is a physical toll to being a servant when there is not proper rest. But we read that Jesus saw them from the mountain, he came to them walking on water, and "immediately" spoke to them.

Verses 53-56: The work of a servant is never ending.

All my down time and inactivity has been good for me. Without this cold, flu, virus, or whatever it is, I seriously doubt that I would have received the inner renewal that has been needed.

The Preacher's Calling

I have begun a new reading, Anointed Expository Preaching by Stephen F. Olford. In the very first chapter Olford begins his book with a discourse about the preacher's calling. In fact at one point Olford writes, "Preachers often ask us to explain the call of God in terms of assurance or conviction. The answer is not an easy one. We are all different in talents, training and temperament; yet one thing is certain: if a man is indwelt and impelled by the living Son of God, there can be no doubt about the call!"

No doubt about it, the call of God is special; especially in relation to that of the preaching ministry. As the author writes, "the call to preach is the sovereign initiative of God in the life and experience of the one who is predestinated to fulfill that role." There is a difference between a desire to be a preacher and being predestined to preach. Everyone is called upon to preach the gospel but not everyone is called to a lifetime of a preaching ministry.

Think about this for a moment. The twelve disciples did not volunteer to follow Jesus. They submitted no application. They did not fill out any forms, or go through a committee screening process. They were called by Jesus to follow. You could say that they were compelled by the authority of our Lord.

Jeremiah was predestined to be a prophet of God. The word of God came to Jeremiah: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you...I ordained you a prophet to the nations." (Jer. 1:4-5)

The Apostle Paul believed he was predestined to be a preacher. Writing to Timothy, his protege, Paul said: [God] considered me faithful, appointing me to his service." (1 Tim. 1:12) Writing to the church at Galatia he sad, "It pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through His grace." (Gal. 1:15)

There needs to be a return this very foundational thought today. The call of God is more than just a desire. It is a deep seated conviction placed within by the Spirit of God that compels an individual to do no other than preach Christ.

Great Leadership Quote

"Every great leader is a futurist. He always considers what today's decisions will mean in tomorrow's world." - Calvin Miller, The Empowered Leader:10 Keys to Servant Leadership, p.92

New Year Thought

Here's an interesting twist. Instead of looking at the New Year as an opportunity for change, what if you looked at it as an opportunity to improve upon that which you are already doing. Rather than seeking change or newness, continue with that which is already good. This thought occurred to me this morning during my early morning reflection and mediation time. Instead of changing, I began my first morning in the new year as I have always done every morning in the past year, sipping a cup of coffee and drinking in God's Word. There are just some things you don't want to change or be different in the new year.