8.29.2005
In Search of the Spiritual - Newsweek Society - MSNBC.com
In Search of the Spiritual - Newsweek Society - MSNBC.com
As Americans continue to grapple with the pull of their soul towards something that fills their life with forgiveness and eternity, Christendom must grapple with how she defines herself. If we are to reach a searching generation we must be Christ incarnate in our community in tangible ways that manifest themselves beyond the piety of Sunday morning.
Thought provoking quotes:
"Whatever is going on here, it's not an explosion of people going to church. The great public manifestations of religiosity in America today—the megachurches seating 8,000 worshipers at one service, the emergence of evangelical preachers as political power brokers—haven't been reflected in increased attendance at services."
-Where will our generation find God? Church (as a building/service goes) does not seem to be the draw, but can Christ be if we become the physical manifestation of the church on mission in our cities?
-Is the best use of relational/spiritual capital when we build huge buildings behind a "face" that speaks well or inspires? Do recorded sermons shepherd the flock in the way of Christ? Is it God lifting up these powerful "men of God" or is it a false religiosity within the unbelieving world that will always compels men to climb high so that the splatter at the bottom will be more grotesque when he falls?
"The fastest-growing category on surveys that ask people to give their religious affiliation . . . is "none." But "spirituality," the impulse to seek communion with the Divine, is thriving."
-People do not want a religious agenda driving their search. They want a spiritual connection with God. The question then is who is the Divine and how can I connect with Him?
"If you feel God within you, then the important question is settled; the rest is details."
-Is God just a feeling or a cerebral sensation that empowers us to over come sin? Or is God the Mighty Son of the Ancient of Days that both created and redeemed mankind by the power of His awesome sovereignty?
As lost souls search for truth, are you searching for lost souls? Does your life wreak with intentionality? Do you wake up with a burning in your chest that compels you toward Christ? Is the end of your laboring - whether you are a 9 to 5'er, a student, or a pastor - to die to yourself so that Christ may be magnified through you? If a searcher met you . . . what would they find?
As Americans continue to grapple with the pull of their soul towards something that fills their life with forgiveness and eternity, Christendom must grapple with how she defines herself. If we are to reach a searching generation we must be Christ incarnate in our community in tangible ways that manifest themselves beyond the piety of Sunday morning.
Thought provoking quotes:
"Whatever is going on here, it's not an explosion of people going to church. The great public manifestations of religiosity in America today—the megachurches seating 8,000 worshipers at one service, the emergence of evangelical preachers as political power brokers—haven't been reflected in increased attendance at services."
-Where will our generation find God? Church (as a building/service goes) does not seem to be the draw, but can Christ be if we become the physical manifestation of the church on mission in our cities?
-Is the best use of relational/spiritual capital when we build huge buildings behind a "face" that speaks well or inspires? Do recorded sermons shepherd the flock in the way of Christ? Is it God lifting up these powerful "men of God" or is it a false religiosity within the unbelieving world that will always compels men to climb high so that the splatter at the bottom will be more grotesque when he falls?
"The fastest-growing category on surveys that ask people to give their religious affiliation . . . is "none." But "spirituality," the impulse to seek communion with the Divine, is thriving."
-People do not want a religious agenda driving their search. They want a spiritual connection with God. The question then is who is the Divine and how can I connect with Him?
"If you feel God within you, then the important question is settled; the rest is details."
-Is God just a feeling or a cerebral sensation that empowers us to over come sin? Or is God the Mighty Son of the Ancient of Days that both created and redeemed mankind by the power of His awesome sovereignty?
As lost souls search for truth, are you searching for lost souls? Does your life wreak with intentionality? Do you wake up with a burning in your chest that compels you toward Christ? Is the end of your laboring - whether you are a 9 to 5'er, a student, or a pastor - to die to yourself so that Christ may be magnified through you? If a searcher met you . . . what would they find?
