Does the Church Really Matter?
How many times have you attended church services, meetings, and events and wondered to yourself why you even there? This questioning actually has less to do with the Church and more to how we view community. As we become more isolationist we value the church community less and less. Back in the day people worked all day in their trade/farm and came together as a community on Sundays, the church was a significant component to society’s structure. But today, technology has transformed our worldview, our needs, and our values. For example, some people stay at home and watch “church” on TV … when the word “church” in the Greek literally means “to assemble together”. But enough talk … Let’s discuss the bottom line. Does the church still have meaning for us today?
As I have engaged young people (anyone under 40), I hear a repeating concept. They may have grown up in the church, but now they don’t have any desire to attend one. There are numerous and some complex reasons why this trend has grown to its now generational shift; therefore, I am only going to address postmodernism in this post.
Many people have judged Postmodernism harshly, but it has brought with it a spirit of “challenge authority” because of an idea that what is taught by institutions are not truth because they come with agendas. This includes religions (particularly Christianity thanks to its zealous proselyting and past government controlling), government, science, and parents. How is this different than any previous generation? It was vastly become more invasive across the globe. Will this cultural shift erase the church, by allowing it to die because not enough younger members are involved? Or, will this be a catylist to transform the church into a more mature, authentic community?