“DOING CHURCH IN A CHANGING SOCIETY”

Change agents love to speak of their method of “doing church.”   Recently my neighbor, “The Reverend Ms. Linda ____ “ gave me a copy of the activities bulletin for her United Methodist Church. These folks are in the vanguard of the change movement in the Postmodern Protestant world. Long ago, her brethren grew tired and weary of the old fashioned, narrow biblicism of John Wesley, their founder.  They embarked on the new road of “Liberal Christianity.”  Pastor Linda’s bulletin is a fair barometer of what we can expect of our preachers and churches who have likewise rejected the old biblicism of their spiritual fathers and are pursuing an agenda of change that will meet the felt-needs of their consumer/members in our Postmodern world.

• The Rev.’s church has a “Fine Arts Series” once each month, featuring the Desert Brass, an Organ Recital, and the Bronze Bell choir.

• Her Missions class will be studying “Erma Bombeck, Elizabeth Taylor and Jolly Old England.”

• A Creativity Class will be offered in how to write “Your Own Story.”

• The Leisure Activities Groups will feature, “Armchair Travelers, Bowling, Bridge, Scrabble and Survivor’s Fun Night.”

• Of course there will be a Super Bowl Party.

• The Sabbath (Saturday) Service will feature “Recording Artist, Mary Hollan.”

• The following Sabbath’s topic will be “The Theology of the Blues.”

• There is their upcoming Rummage Sale.

The pastor’s church is not renouncing its “faith heritage.” They still have Sunday morning services in the Sanctuary and Sabbath celebration for those who prefer them. They still wear the Methodist name, their pastor still carries a Bible into the pulpit. Of course their faith and worship bear little resemblance to the church established by John and Charles Wesley.  All of these “church” activities are presented under the acronym of S.E.E.K.  i.e., Spiritual Enrichment ... Education ... Knowledge. They are trying hard to be relevant.

This interesting bulletin provides us some idea of where some of our churches are headed.  For if they travel the same road of consumer-driven religions, such as the UMC, they will almost certain arrive at the same destination. Of course the UMC folks are some 40 years ahead of our change agents, so it will take a while for our brethren to catch up.  But you can be certain they will.
Just look at the Disciples of Christ.  A hundred and fifty years ago they were one with us. Today there is hardly a nickel’s worth of difference between them and the UMC.  They set out on their journey down the wide road over a century ago.  They have long since arrive at the camp of Liberal Protestantism. Our younger brethren will live to see some of our “flagship change churches” reach that same point. Those who love Christ and his church; who honor his Divine will, watch with tear-filled eyes as they depart on their journey. Futilely, we try to call them back, but they cannot hear because their ears they have stopped (Zech. 7:11).  Their hearts are set on being like the churches around them (I Sam. 8:5).