Daily Archives: October 19, 2012

Crisis in American Christianity

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I suggest that the primary problem that is at the heart of the creeping
crisis in American Christianity is a spiritual one – not merely
financial or lack of members or the presence of young people or
unresponsive structures or antiquated thinking (1960’s and 1970’s
thinking, that is the antiquated thinking I’m writing about), but a
spiritual problem.

What is the single thing that the Christian
Church provides humanity that no other organization or institution or
system offers?  It is squarely Jesus Christ! Redemption –  forgiveness,
healing, and restoration between God and the rest of humanity.  That’s
it.  Period.

The Christian Church is not needed for social work,
political activism, justice seeking, or most anything else, except new
life in Christ. (Not that we don’t have something to say or do with
regard to those other things, but our engagement with such things is on a
primarily different plain than is secular society’s.)

Until we
recognize the reality of spiritual crisis, no matter what “change” we
engage in to correct other presumed crises within our churches will
bring about the results we seek or bring about the reality of the
Kingdom of God in the world around us.

Newsweek

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English: Cover of the January 16, 1939 issue o...

English: Cover of the January 16, 1939 issue of Newsweek magazine. The issue features Felix Frankfurter on the cover. The issue cost 10 cents. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Well, I heard this morning that the once venerable “Newsweek” will cease print publication and be a digital magazine beginning in January, 2013.  I’ve been getting Newsweek since my Current Events class in high school – many years ago.  I’ve debated ending my subscription several times as the magazine went through a variety of changes, many of them away from hard news reporting and to something more fluffy like “People” or some such magazine.  

The latest rendition it has taken after being given to Tina Brown and the “Daily Beast” pretty much convinced me to finally end my subscription – but I felt disloyal to a once great news magazine going through tough times.  Well, the decision has been made for me.  Just like “US News and World Report,” Newsweek will end being a substantive news magazine.

Sad, but yet another example of companies, media, organizations, or even churches whose leadership that just can’t seem to make the changes necessary to stay current and viable – the leadership of these organizations make changes, but the changes they think are pertinent simply aren’t, and they won’t learn.  Buggy whips.

Time for the “Economist.”