UNchristian

This book by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons is an important read for all church leaders, elders and any one who gives a rip about where this whole Jesus thing is going. I've always felt like most churches I've been to were more concerned about what they (we) are against than what we are for. The research in this book seems to confirm that. From the book:

"In our national surveys we found the three most common perceptions of present-day Christianity are antihomosexual, judgmental, and hypocritical. These "big three" are followed by the following negative perceptions, embraced by a majority of young adults: old-fashioned, too involved in politics, out of touch with reality, insensitive to others, boring, not accepting of other faiths, and confusing. When they think of the Christian faith, these are the images that come to mind. This is what a new generation really thinks about Christianity."

I have seen many of these traits in myself. I do not see them in the Jesus I claim to follow.

The purpose of this book is not to rage against the church and Chrisitians. It is to let us know how the next generation views us. And I am concerned that we are in a little trouble here. Nextgeners are tired of us trying to sell Jesus to them. They need to hear about him as if we had just spoken to him on the phone last night. And our conversations with them mostly won't take place inside our church building. We've already become too irrelevant for that. We must move outside our walls to their neighborhoods: coffee shops and college campuses, bars and bistro's, the grocery store and the gutter. But the great news about this next generation is they are hungry for authenticity, relationship, and for their life to mean something, to be a part of something way bigger than themselves.

I honestly find it so easy to complain about what we (I've) done wrong as a church. It is easy to sit back and find fault with the Church and my church. But it is time I (we) move beyond that.
It is time to quit condeming lifestyles and love the people in them. It is time the church (you and I) really get this one thing: that the opposite of sin isn't virtue; it's grace (thank you author Philip Yancey).

Michaelangelo once said "critique by creating."

I want to do that.