The Atheist Church is a popular "fad" and I don't like it; it worries me that it is catching on and growing at a scary pace. As a pastor, and more importantly, a Christian it worries me that people are not following closely to the life and heart of Jesus. But I'm going to be honest...I partly blame the Christian Church for the success of the Atheist Church. Calm down, and hear me out!
Every Sunday morning thousands of people around the globe are gathering in a building, to listen to great music, hang out with each other, learn how to better themselves and their communities, then they leave to go home and implement what they just heard. Every Sunday the Atheist Church is packed, to sit and learn and support a concept of NOTHINGNESS. Yet...they show up. All the while the Christian Church, by many statistics I'm reading, seems to be decreasing in popularity and relevance. (mega churches dominate the headlines but are not the traditional/usual church)
The easy out is to say that we've lost Christ in this culture, and to a large extent I'd agree. (so with that being said I can't expect a non-Christian to act as a Christian) Another easy out is to say that no one cares about Jesus anymore. But those excuses are too easy to me. Here's my THOUGHTS (which I'm entitled to, correct?): I think it's not the cultures fault, or the irrelevance of Jesus...rather it's many church's inability to change to gain access to a new generation, and allow Jesus to change their hearts before they can become full of brick and mortar.
I'm not trying to "down" the church (I believe the church, aside from Jesus, is the greatest hope in this word...to steal a line from Bill Hybels) I'm trying to say this: at some point we need to look at the reality. An (increasingly growing) group of people would rather gather together and learn about nothingness while finding ways to change the world; rather than gather with people to learn about EVERYTHINGNESS (I copyright that word) while finding ways to change the world. Somewhere the Christian Church missed out on an opportunity to allow Jesus to break down the pain, hurt, frustration, questions, and confusion in their hearts. And at some point we have to own up to it and change it!
This generation (the Atheist church is primarily the "younger" generation by the way) isn't against gathering together, worship (music), learning, or getting involved...all of which the Christian Church is supposed to stand for while pointing to Jesus...this generation is very much FOR those things. So why the disconnect? They just believe what they believe? Wrong...I used to believe that the world WAS South Carolina. I used to believe that the color green was blue, and blue was red...why? Because I was young and hadn't been exposed to the truth of those false statements. The disconnect, I believe, comes from the inability for the church as a whole to turn the Word of God, the salvation of Jesus, the love of our Father, and the guidance of the Spirit into the ability to apply each of those into every day life...WHILE LOVING PEOPLE!
To be honest, there was a moment several years ago...I would've be someone that would've tried the Atheist Church. Not because I believe there is nothing out there, but because I had been so hurt by those that knew there was something (God) out there! Christians- cry over this, hurt over this, lament over this...there is a new church that is moving in on your SAVIOR that believes there is not Savior...and it's picking up the pieces that we're leaving behind! At some point...we have to do something about it. It's time to get out there, pick up the hurting, lost, and isolated and LOVE them...not change them, that's Jesus' job...but love them! If we don't, I know a group that will. Maybe it's not God that they have a problem, maybe it's me.
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