Week One - Thursday, August 27, 2009

Are you skeptical? I am.

Ever notice how everything on TV is “new” “improved” and going to change your life for the better. That is why I am skeptical.

Yet, I want to believe, because I want to be better and so I try the thing only to find it doesn’t impress at all. And thus, the cycle begins again.

Mosaics and Busters (those 16-29 years old) are skeptical. But I think they too are searching for what will satisfy.

In UnChristian, chapter 2, we hear how 16-29-year-olds are both skeptical and ambivalent, especially around Christianity. This isn’t because of what they see on the news but their experience with everyday Christians. And, a big part of their concern comes from how far away Christianity is from what Jesus intended.

So let’s ask the questions the chapter asks:

1. What are we known for?
What do you think? What are United Methodists known for?

A young adult I know told me that her friends think our church sign (we recently replaced our church sign for one that lights up in RED and says, United Methodist Church) looks like it is an emergency room sign (which I think I like…).

Sandie brought up (response to first entry) that we would do well to focus on what we are doing that is good in the world, like “Nothing But Nets” and Hurricane Katrina Relief. A good idea, how might we (or are) we doing this locally?

So, let me ask you, if your ministry or your local church had to be known for one thing, what would you want it to be?

2. What place does grace play in your living the way of Jesus?

Yesterday I came home from work after ending the day reviewing finances and I was in a pretty bad mood (go figure), and I just went off to my husband, Jeff and son, Jacob. At one point I said, “Let me tell you what I think,” and they looked at me and laughed and said, “Yeah, because we can’t already tell!”

There was no grace in what I was doing. Not one little bit. It was a terrible witness. I repent.

On good days, grace abounds, but sometimes….not so much. I miss the mark.

I was struck by what the books said (page 35), “One thirty-five-year-old believer from California put it this way: ‘Christians have become political, judgmental, intolerant, weak, religious, angry, and without balance. Christianity has become a nice Sunday drive. Where is the living God, the Holy Spirit, an amazing Jesus, the love, the compassion, the holiness? This type of life, how I yearn for that.”

Don’t you just breathe more deeply reading those words?

Let me end with another quote I loved:
“Young outsiders and Christians alike do not want a cheap, ordinary, or insignificant life, but their vision of present-day Christianity is just that superficial, antagonistic, depressing….Mosaics and Busters deserve better than the unchristian faith, and they won’t put up with anything less. And, unlike any previous generation, they will not give us time to get our act together.” (page 40)

We can deny or ignore the hostility or we can address it.
When you look at your local church where do you feel you are in this process?
What one thing do you need to do next?

Video

Perception Introductions Video

Week One - Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Does Christianity have an image problem?

The answer of “UnChristian” by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons is yes!

“UnChristian” explores many current areas where Christianity falls short, but my perception is that while fruitful conversation will come from looking at these issues, there are additional issues our culture has with Christianity not addressed by this book. Our culture has a critical eye and has noticed not only our treatment of homosexuals but women, and not only how we are judgmental but how we use the Bible as a weapon to control and manipulate. But, that is another book study! (smile)

Let’s start where they start…

The core of Christianity is Jesus. Who he is, how he taught us to live, and what living in the light of his resurrection means for how we live as his people. To live as the people of Jesus in the world is to live as the opening act for the Kingdom of God—a way that we live imperfectly, yes, but a way that we have committed our lives to.

The problem is, when the world looks at us it doesn’t see the people of Jesus, it sees a bunch of judgmental, hypocritical, political, homophobes—and that, as we all know, is not compelling to anyone, not even those still in our churches.

The book focuses on those ages 16-29. “UnChristain” seeks to ask the question, why are the majority of 16-to-29-year-olds not interested in Christianity? The desire is to hear their concerns and issues and to make the changes in our local context so that we might be faithful to the call of Jesus “to make disciples of all nations and teach them to obey all I have commanded you.” But be clear, asking why this age group is absent is asked not to move Christianity back to the center of culture. Those days are long gone. Instead “UnChristian” ask, as do many of us, how we can be “effective agents of spiritual transformation in people’s lives, whatever that may cost in time, comfort, or image.” (page 19)

Do you think Christianity has an image problem? How do you think we are doing in living as the people of Jesus in today’s world? What does it even mean to live in ‘the way of Jesus”? Any other thoughts on Chapter 1?

More tomorrow on Chapter 2.

-Rev. Nicole

Perception is Reality...

When I owned up to my faith in Christ in my mid-20ies I didn’t want to call myself a Christian. The word “Christian” left a bad taste in my mouth. And that wasn’t because I had one bad Christian experience--- I had a whole series of them. There were the Christians who told me to stop asking so many questions and just “believe,” then, there were the ones who had a need to pin-point the exact time I asked Jesus “into my heart.” Other Christians had said that the faith was just about “being nice,” – these were the same ones who then turned around and lied and gossiped. No, I didn’t want that label.

I did eventually find my way into calling myself a Christian-—it was in a small United Methodist church in Long Beach (Belmont Heights). The church was filled with senior citizens who loved me and shared their simple and real faith in the God they knew in Jesus Christ. Their witness led me to finish college (now as a religious studies major) and go to seminary. I am in my 18th year of serving the local church as a United Methodist pastor.

“UnChristian” is about the scores of 16-29 year olds who want nothing to do with Christianity. They find Christians to be hypocritical, anti-homosexual, too political & judgmental. David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons ---who come from a conservative, evangelical background—set to share not only what they have found, but also how Christians might respond.


When I read this book last year I thought, yeah, but ...
Yeah younger people might feel like this BUT they will come around….

The truth is that we are finding that this isn’t as true today as it was in earlier generations. Today’s 16-29 year olds are statistically less likely to return to church once they leave.

Yeah, its true about some Christian churches BUT we are United Methodists, we aren’t like that!

Well, here is the thing. To the average “regular person” (instead of non-Christian or seeker or whatever label people use these days), Christians are all the same. Who cares if you are a Baptist or a Presbyterian or a United Methodist—what difference does that make????

And… while in a church like the United Methodist church this could be less of an issue, I don’t really think it is. These issues are across Christianity and frankly, we have additional issues like we are so old school with much of our worship, we don’t have a sense of what we believe, etc.

At the end of the day, perception is reality. If people think this, there are reasons why and it moves us to explore, discover and understand.

People look at Christianity and have….

• Little trust in the faith --what is it, what do we believe?
• Little esteem for the lifestyle – do we live it?
• Emotional and intellectual barriers – how do we deal with controversial issues?
• Feel rejected by Christians – we are self involved

What might the Holy Spirit do in our churches as we read together and search our hearts? I am looking forward to our reading and discussion, meet back here to discuss chapters 1 & 2. -Nicole

Schedule

Here is our plan:
Schedule of readings: (beginning the week of...)

Mon. Aug. 24 - Chaps 1 & 2:
"The Back Story" & "Discovering unChristian Faith"

Mon. Aug. 31 - Chaps 3 & 4
"Hypocritical" & "Get Saved!"

Mon. Sept. 7 - Chaps 5 & 6
"Antihomosexual" & "Sheltered"

Mon. Sept. 14 - Chaps 7 & 8
"Too Political" & "Judgemental"

Mon. Sept. 21 - Chaps 9 & Afterward
"From unChristian to Christian"

To Begin August 24