Monday, March 03, 2008
Pew Research Study
Headlines of the past week about the changing religious landscape in America are generating conversation in a variety of ways. This is the result of the most recent Pew Research Study. Of course, many claim this information as affirmation of what they perceive to be wrong with their denomination or organized faith affiliation and I am sure that this will be freely quoted at our upcoming General Conference. So, it is interesting to read Larry Hollen’s thoughts about how we might interpret this new information in a constructive way. He says, "These figures lay out a landscape for significant ministry if we listen with sensitivity and reach out compassionately.
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2 comments:
I feel about changing Church affiliations as I feel about moving to another town to find what you were unable to find in the town you are leaving. You probably will not find what you are looking for just because you search in a new geographic location. If you can not find the elephant standing in the kitchen, you won't find the elephant in the den. We get out of a relationship with God what we put into it. We get out of a church what we put into it.We rarely put any more effort into the search just because we look somewhere else. I am not an example of interpersonal relationships to emulate, but I know why I fail. Tom
From Larry Hollen, "George Barna contends this is creating new religious practices that he and co-writer Frank Viola call “pagan Christianity.” People are finding spiritual places apart from the traditional religious settings and practices that have prevailed since the Middle Ages."
It seems to me that Internet Jesus, House Christianity and pagan Christianity harken back to a much earlier period. Sounds like first and second century in-fighting between group leaders and gnostics and mystics and ascetics and factions like the Judean Peoples Front and Messiah of the Sandal Essenic Celibates and House of Christos Agnostic Temple Fighter Followers of Marcion or the Irenaean Rooftop Church of the Secret Gospels.This is gonna get interesting just before it gets scary. Tom
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