DownshoreDrift

How Long Until the Church Effectively Deals With Its Prejudice?

CNN is producing a great series on being "Black in America." Yesterday, they dealt with the issue of race in the church by confronting Why Many Americans Prefer Their Sundays Segregated (HT: Jim West). This is a fascinating article. Here are some excerpts:

• Only 5 percent of our nation's churches are considered racially integrated (at least 20% of a minority race attends)
• Many who want segregated churches are looking for a place of refuge where they don't have to experience racism on Sundays
• Fear of interracial dating may keep churches segregated
• Integrated churches could help heal racial divides in America

I have said a lot about this in the past and I plan to say a good deal more about it in the future. At any rate, I think that it is significant that a secular world looks at the church and takes notice that we are just as segregated as they are, if not more so. Clearly, the Bible teaches that racial distinctions are to fade away in Christ, yet they remain in His Church. How do you think this affects our witness and what can we do about it?

Obviously, repentance and heart change is necessary. Maybe we will start to consider that when we realize that our preferences, beyond just being incompatible with the Gospel, are also destroying our witness in America, the land of multiculturalism.

If We Want to Follow Jesus . . .

Americans are clustering more and more into cultural, social, economic, religious, and political enclaves according to Bill Bishop in his new book, The Big Sort: Why the Clustering of Like-Minded America is Tearing Us Apart. Basically, our affluence has led us to the place that most Americans want to live, work, and play with people just like them. The Homogenous Unit Principle that I spoke of a few posts ago, seems to be alive and well in an increasingly multicultural America. But, instead of becoming a melting pot, we look more like a salad bowl of Balkanized special interests. Of course, we have seen this for years with white-flight and the rise of the suburb, but it is now apparently happening across other areas of life and it has profound social, political, and religious implicatoins.

Chasing the American Dream?

Barna Research Group has some new information out about what constitutes the American Dream in people's minds. I'll jump straight to the polling results and commentary and then provide my thoughts at the end:

What Adults Want Their Future to Include

Desired Outcome	2008	2000	1993	1991
having good physical health	85%	91%	92%	93%
living with a high degree of integrity	85%	81%	n/a	76%
having one marriage partner for life	80%	79%	n/a	n/a
having a clear purpose for living	77%	75%	71%	n/a
having a close relationship with God	75%	70%	74%	72%
having close, personal friendships	74%	75%	79%	73%
having a comfortable lifestyle	70%	61%	72%	59%
having a satisfying sex life with your marriage partner	66%	63%	n/a	n/a
having children	66%	65%	n/a	n/a
living close to your family and relatives	63%	60%	63%	67%
being deeply committed to the Christian faith	59%	53%	n/a	n/a
making a difference in the world	56%	47%	n/a	n/a
having a college degree	46%	51%	n/a	n/a
being personally active in a church	45%	42%	n/a	n/a
traveling throughout the world for pleasure	28%	26%	n/a	n/a
working in a high-paying job	28%	29%	43%	36%
owning a large home	18%	21%	30%	23%
owning the latest household technology/electronics	11%	9%	n/a	n/a
achieving fame or public recognition	7%	6%	10%	10%
survey sample size	1003	1002	1202	1003

The Ideal Life

In commenting on these outcomes, George Barna, who has overseen this tracking research since it originated in 1991, pointed out some of the highlights of the new findings.

"Stability rules," Barna noted. "Out of nineteen factors, only two have seen even a ten-point shift in nearly two decades. That’s rather remarkable consistency. So much in our world is changing, yet people’s dreams for their life hinge on the same, unchanging desires: health, relationships, character, faith and comfort. As our life context changes, so do the ways in which people pursue and realize these dreams, but their desires remain anchored to some fundamental values that seem to weather the changing times."

Barna also indicated that the mainstream media has portrayed American society as changing more radically than it has. "There have been some hugely significant changes in the laws of the land over the past quarter-century. However, when you examine what people want, in essence they are seeking what used to be described as traditional family values: a single marriage for life, a solid family experience, displaying good character, living a life that has meaning and impact, and having an active faith.

"Sometimes the abundant opportunities and challenges of daily life distract or divert people from their commitment to these outcomes," the researcher continued, "but in their hearts they have retained some pretty basic and traditional hope and dreams. Leaders might take note of this and compare their own vision and plans for the future with the ideal life that Americans hope to experience."

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Me: I am beginning to distrust a lot of these polls, because I don't think that people are answering truthfully, or if they are answering truthfully they might just be saying what their aspirations are without taking any real steps to accomplish them. I can say that spiritual growth is a goal in my life, but if I never get up from in front of the television and do anything to grow spiritually, then it really is not a goal. The same can be said about a number of issues. I think that these polls might reveal the things that people think are good in life, but when it comes down to it, our choices show what we really want. For example, only 18% of people say that owning a large home is a value to them? Have you seen the size of new homes recently? How many people that you know are still scrambling to get into bigger and bigger houses?  That might not be happening all over the country, but it is definitely happening where I live. It might be embarrassing to admit that that is a goal, but I think that it remains a goal for a large number of people.  Some of these values just do not match up with how people really live, day in and day out.

It has been said that you can tell what a person values by looking at their calendar and their checkbook. How we spend our time and our money says way more about us than random polls do. I am glad that 45% of people say that they want to be personally active in a church. But, considering the fact that the most recent polls tell us that average church attendance is actually around 20-25% of the population, it makes you wonder how much difference there is between people's stated desires and their actual behavior. It does seem that many people have decent values, at least according to what they say. Maybe the big problem is that they do not know how to live according to their values, or they do not see how it is possible. Maybe the tyranny of the urgent, selfishness, or weariness keeps them from really pursuing the things that they say they want. We live in a country where 75% of people want to be close to God, 59% of people want to be deeply committed to the Christian faith, and 45% of people want to be personally active in a church, yet church participation is falling throughout America, and every other philosophy is gaining ground. Why is this? Are these desires really genuine, or do people just see God as a means to a happy life?

Maybe this disconnect has something to do with what David Kinnaman has found in his research, also stated on the Barna website in February, 2008 (He also wrote the book unChristian along with Gabe Lyons):

People are expressing more hostility, doubt, frustration and skepticism toward Christianity - and this is particularly true among young people. Their perceptions of Christians are filled with images of judgmentalism, hypocritical lifestyles and political activism. They also believe Christians have singled out homosexuality above all other sins. They conclude that Christianity is old-fashioned, boring and unintelligent, and that Christians are insincere and too focused on getting converts. The followers of the Prince of Peace are thought to be unable to live peaceably among others.

These may sound like harsh statements, but they spring from extensive research we have done with Americans ages 16 to 29. Whatever your impressions, these negative views are front and center in the minds of young people in our culture. In just a decade, the perception of evangelicals has become eight times less favorable among young non-Christians when compared to the image held by Boomer non-Christians.

In fact, one of the most common reactions that young people have about the faith is that present-day Christianity is no longer like Jesus intended . This is where we initially came upon the term "unChristian." In our research with young people, they kept saying things like, "Christians go about things in an unChristian manner."

So, how do the stated aspirations of people in the aforementioned poll jive with the frustrations of emerging generations? Has the Church lost Jesus in our daily lives? Do people take their spiritual search elsewhere because we do not effectively or intentionally display who Christ is to a watching world? Do people want Jesus but not the Church? Or, is it just all their problem? This could be a great wake-up call for us! Perhaps the Church could come in here and do more to display the beauty of the Christian life in community so that people can see that the life that they have wanted is available in Christ. Isn't this why "sinners" flocked to Jesus? Of course, to gain eternal life, you have to lose your life, and that might be the kicker for some people. Repentance is not a popular concept, even among Christians. But, I still think that the Church can and should be the connection point between God and people's daily lives. Maybe we can actually connect people with the good values that we have if we would look to and live for Jesus and display His glory in the community that He has initiated: the Church (Please note that I am not talking about the institution here, I am talking about the ecclesia, the called out ones who come together to live for Christ). It seems like His plan is a pretty good one and if we would sincerely follow it we might be able to connect a generation of truth seekers to Christ.

UPDATE: Read the latest Pew Research Polls on American's diverse beliefs in religion HERE. Here's a preview: 57% of evangelicals say that "they believe many religions can lead to eternal life."  Wow.  I wonder if they even know that this contradicts what the Bible teaches (John 14:6 - "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.").  Compare these beliefs with the theological disaster that is the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF), (check THIS out as well) and we see the need for evangelicals to actually know what the Bible teaches.

Poll: Are Republicans Serious About Outlawing Abortion?

Or, do they just use the issue to keep their conservative Christian base disciplined and in the fold come election day, with no real intention of doing anything about it? Or, is it more complicated than that? I am very stridently anti-abortion and I am very conservative politically and socially. But, I wonder if Republicans are really serious about every doing anything on this. What is your opinion about the political implications of this very serious moral issue?

Are the Suburbs in Decline?

Chuck Warnock thinks so. In anticipation of my next post from the Alan Hirsch conference on the dangers of consumerism, check out Warnock's post, The Decline of the Suburb.

I'll have a lot more on this tomorrow, but in the meantime, what do you think the future holds for the 'burbs? How has suburban life affected the witness of the Church positively or negatively?  What might a post-suburban evangelical church in America look like? I'd love to hear your ideas. I'm really thinking a lot lately about how the Gospel of the Kingdom relates to suburban/planned community living in America.

Frank Page: Bobby Jindal Baptized and Led to Christ by Tommy French

Frank Page just told the convention that Louisiana Governor, Bobby Jindal (R) told him that he had been baptized and led to Christ by Louisiana Baptist pastor Tommy French. This is pretty significant. I was under the impression that Bobby Jindal was a Catholic. At any rate, Jindal is on the short list for the VP nomination to run with McCain. He is a young governor of Indian ancestry and is probably one of the brightest lights in the Republican Party. If you have not heard about Bobby Jindal, pay attention. I would not be surprised if he ran for president in the near future.

Man Raised From the Dead By His Doctor and the Power of God

Has anyone else heard about this? A friend of mine told me about it at lunch today and I looked it up. Apparently it really happened and it is a  real live news story.  In South Florida last month, a man who had a massive heart attack and died was raised back to life. His doctor was a Christian and he says that God told him to go back and pray for the man one last time. The man had been dead for over an hour with no heart beat. The doctor prayed for the man and them told the medical crew to shock him one last time and a heartbeat was restored.  The man started breathing and woke up. It is quite an incredible story.

UPDATE:  The testimony from the doctor on how this happened.  There's a Youtube video from a local news report as well.

And yet ANOTHER story of an African pastor named Daniel Eckechukwu, who was dead for two days and was resurrected through the prayers of Christians and the power of God. There are four YouTube videos about it as well.  This is the first one.

America's Obsession With Race: What Does God Think?

Everywhere I turn, people are talking about race. It dominates the presidential election and our national conversation. Are we still racist? How does racism affect us? Are black people still the victims of racist attitudes by whites? It goes on and on. The Civil Rights movement basically ended 40 years ago, yet we continue to discuss this issue. Why have we not resolved this? How much further do we have to go? We are talking about race in our schools, on the news, in books, movies, television, on the radio - everywhere I turn.  Blacks and Whites. Mexicans crossing the border. Arabs wanting to live under Sharia Law. Race. Religion. Politics. Social Divides. Everyone is talking about it all the time. It dominates our national conversation. I live in Montgomery, AL, the birthplace of the Civil Rights movement, so it dominates our city.  Everyone is constantly talking about it.

So, why is the church so silent? Don't we have anything to say? Don't we have any solutions to our national questions? Do we have any answers that are worth proclaiming?

I have been preaching through the Book of Acts for the past 9 months on again and off again. On Sunday, I get to Acts 10, where Peter brought the gospel to Cornelius' house. The gospel went from the Jews to the Gentiles - it crossed from one race to another. All people everywhere can now know God through believing in Jesus. There is no Jew nor Greek, slave or free, male or female. Christ is in all. Ephesians 2 tells us that one of the implications of the gospel is that Jesus is our peace, he tears down dividing walls between races, ethnic groups, and cultures. When diverse people come together in Christ, the power of the gospel is shown.  Ephesians 3:10 tells us that God's intent was that the manifold wisdom of God would be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms. I think that Satan is very happy that America and other nations are divided on race. I also think that the Church of Jesus Christ has an answer for that division. When the division that marks our nation is present in the church, we do not preach the gospel well.  In fact, it is possible that some might even be denying the gospel through their divisive attitudes. Some say that blacks and whites are primarily divided by cultural preferences and not racial prejudices. Maybe so. I can't judge hearts. But, in the church where we live in a racially divided society, shouldn't our preferences take a back seat to a clear demonstration of the power of the gospel in tearing down the dividing walls that have kept us seperate? Don't tell me that we are just divided by culture when just a generation ago it was preached from pulpits that seperation between blacks and whites was ordained by God and to violate that would be sin. How can the Church bring healing and show that we are united in Christ, even if it starts with predominately black and white churches working together to bring the Kingdom? There must be some way that we can consistently show that Jesus is bigger than what divides us. 

I am going to preach on that this Sunday. I am going to tell people that the Church has an answer to the problems that our country faces. I know that things are different in other parts of the country, but in Montgomery, AL, this is still a major issue. I am also putting this on our marquee out in front of our church:

Sunday Sermon:

God's View on Race

I do believe the church has an answer. His name is Jesus.

James Dobson Wonders If Future Leadership for the Christian Right Will Emerge

One of the persistent concerns in the Southern Baptist Convention over the past five years or so, has been if new, younger leadership will emerge to take the place of their elders. It appears that that concern is not just found in the SBC. James Dobson of Focus on the Family wonders the same thing - about the Religious Right.  (HT: Scot McKnight). Here is the larger portion of the article:

James Dobson told a group of Christian broadcasters Tuesday night that the passing of Jerry Falwell, the Rev. D. James Kennedy and Ruth Bell Graham represent the end of an era.

The radio talk show host noted that others like Billy Graham, Chuck Colson, Pat Robertson and Chuck Swindoll will also soon pass from the scene, and questioned the impact on the conservative Christian church.

"It causes me to wonder who will be left to carry the banner when this generation of leaders is gone," Dobson told an audience of nearly 1,400 at the National Religious Broadcasters conference. "The question is, will the younger generation heed the call? Who will defend the unborn child in the years to come? Who will plead for the Terri Schiavos of the world? Who's going to fight for the institution of marriage, which is on the ropes today."

Sharia Law in Great Britain? Archbishop of Canterbury Says, "Yes."

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, is advocating the allowance of Sharia Law for Muslims in the UK on certain issues. He says that there is precedent because the government makes exceptions for other religions in certain areas, like not forcing Catholic adoption agencies to accept gay parents, even though that is the law. Well, if you have to make exceptions to laws like that, it probably shows that it is a ridiculous law because you are trying to enforce something that is so obviously against the natural order of things. If the aforementioned law were really a civil rights issue, could you imagine an exception being made for race in that circumstance? Could you imagine a law stating that a religious adoption agency didn't have to accept minority parental candidates because their religion said those people were sinful and should not adopt children? Of course not. That exception would never be made. The religion would be forced to bend to the will of the government because it is obvious that that view does violence to truth.

The Anglican Church in England has lost all view of Truth. How far behind is the rest of the West? Here is a quote from Dr. Williams,

But Dr Williams said an approach to law which simply said "there's one law for everybody and that's all there is to be said, and anything else that commands your loyalty or allegiance is completely irrelevant in the processes of the courts - I think that's a bit of a danger".

I think that as a Christian, if I were living in a country dominated by another religion, I would understand that there would be non-Chrisitan laws. Still, I can follow my Christianity, and when it comes in conflict with the law, then I must choose whom I will serve. I guess that Dr. Williams wants to alleviate that choice for Muslims and reduce cultural and religious strife. That is a noble gesture, but at what price? If the rest of the country is torn apart, then is it worth it? Should Western liberal democracies have different sets of laws for different religions, just because we believe in religious freedom and toleration? Should law influence every aspect of society and enforce every cultural norm, as in the case with the gay adoption example? Under what circumstances would Dr. Williams' position be wise?

I think that this would be a hideous mistake. Whether it is accepted by Parliament or not is besides the point. The point, to me, is that the head of the Church of England has quite possibly lost his mind on the altar of pluarlism and multicultural worship.

Any thoughts?