When Things Change...
A most recent Gallup study confirmed what I think a lot of people are experiencing. For the first time, fewer than 50% of Americans report being members of a church. Just 20 years ago, 70% of the population reported membership in a religious body, now that number has dropped by over 20%. That is a big drop. Covid certainly has not helped, but truthfully this was happening prior to Covid.
I have felt it. I remember one Sunday morning a few years back driving Macie to a soccer tournament. There was a line of cars stretching out on the street looking for parking spaces. I knew later that morning we would be in church, and I would definitely not be worried about a place to park when I got there.
Believing is not the same as church membership. But, as the old song goes “Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you got ‘til it’s gone”, we might be heading for a cultural wake up moment. If the church fades, I think we are going to find it increasingly difficult to believe.
Now, what do we do about it? Here is an honest answer, I am not sure. If I was, I would be doing it. Right now, it might be more important to begin thinking differently. So here's a thought.
My son Michael gets married to Katie Beth (pictured above) on May 15th. When you have a child get married, you begin to think differently about the institution of marriage. Marriage is a great thing. It is both timeless and changing at the same time. And when the timelessness and the everchanging nature collide there are questions. Will his marriage look like ours? What advice should I give him? How will they handle money, sex, kids, work and all the things that make up married life?
It seems like the most important part of being married is who you marry. That is why I am glad I married Anne. Who she is makes navigating the inevitable changes that come in marriage and life a lot easier. The right person makes the right institution work. Because the point of the institution of marriage is to love someone.
That thought gives me hope for the church. Because while the church may be changing, the timeless reason behind it is to love Jesus. And He is easy to love, because He loves us first. He is the right person for the church, even if we have to think differently about it.
God bless,
The Donohues
