I’m always fascinated by the church in Europe, because I believe they hold rich insights into where the church in America is heading. I recently shared dinner with a witty professor and vicar from England. I asked him the following: Knowing that the United States is increasingly becoming a post-Christian culture, what advice do you have for us?
He said something that’s still ringing in my ears.
Don’t be naïve.
Don’t be naïve that despite all the churches, all the ministries, all that’s going in ministry in your country that what’s happened to us won’t happen to you.
He went on to describe how for the majority of the population in England there’s no context for Christianity so when you approach someone about issues of faith there’s not a framework. We are naïve to think that the United States isn’t heading in the same direction with Biblical illiteracy on the rise, and an increasing number of unchurched, de-churched, and non-churched among our population.
I’m grateful for his words: Don’t be naïve.
What issues do you feel the church is spiritually naïve about?
I’ve been hearing for years that the church in the US, on the whole, is Biblically illiterate. That is, that’s what the most vocal Biblical teachers have been saying. To be honest, I wonder if the opposite isn’t true. What if we’ve studied and analyzed and criticized the bible so much (not that it’s a bad thing) that people look at it more as an ancient literary anthology rather than God’s own words. Not too many centuries ago, folks who couldn’t read respected the bible more than many today who have the words and stories memorized, but who consider it a charming epic, right up there with Gilgamesh, Beowulf, and the Hobbit.
I think we are naive, even myself on the power of the Holy Spirit to change more than just the inner heart of a person. I wish and pray for more understanding in this person of the trinity.
I’m thankful for people like you who are contending for Biblical literacy and providing so much for people to be drawn into the magnificent story of God. Your writing and speaking draws people to the word of God and Himself.
People are not seeing Church as relevant to their lives. I’m in Italy right now and have had quite a few conversations with people who are “Catholic” but never go to Mass. I’m convinced that people care about spirituality, but people don’t like the legalism of churches today. Like Perry Noble always says: “The Church is Jesus’s Bride. If you don’t like the Church, it’s like telling Jesus, “Dude, I don’t like your Wife!” Ouch. There is a difference between Europe and America… America still pretends to be Christian and likes to have choices of Churches with church buildings on almost every corner. Europe has beautiful church buildings with few people in them. Europe is past the point of pretending… and I noticed when I was in England for my internship in 2006 that churches work together, something that I wish would happen more often in America! Regardless of the state of the Church in either place, God is still at work among His people… I’m clinging to Matthew 5.14-16.