Getting the “Nones” Off the Bus

 

 

 

 

 

 

Much ink has been spilled as of late for the latest results of the [Pew Survey](http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/). You know, the one which indicates that there is a current downward trend towards people who identify themselves as “Christian,” and an upward trend towards the “Nones”.

Here are my thoughts, and they’re not pretty.

Ready for it?

Here goes.

Stop it.

Stop The Blame

Stop blaming churches who have a musical style different than your personal preferences.

Stop blaming pastors who have a preaching emphasis that is slightly different from your own needs.

Stop blaming youth programs of the last thirty years for being ill-equipped to answer unforeseen questions.

Stop blaming interdenominational churches for not being liturgical.

Stop blaming liturgical churches for not being inclusive enough.

Stop blaming inclusive churches for changing with the times.

Stop blaming the Bible for passages written thousands of years ago, that sound offensive today.

Stop it.

How easy it is, to point your finger at others, and refuse to look inside.

The Gospel Is Supposed to Be Hard

Listen to what Christ has said:

“Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13-14).

Christ Himself stated that the road is narrow, and few will traverse on it. That means that popularity of a movement does not necessarily mean that it’s the Road to Heaven.

Now, I don’t personally wish that to be the case. I want as many people to be made alive by the power of Christ today. Be that as it may, this fact is a reality that we need to collectively grasp.

Following Christ is not easy. And most of us fail. This current generation seems to have lost interest, and, to be fair, some of their grievances are real.

Christianity’s Checkered History

Here’s the thing: Christianity, in its history, has undergone far worse trials, than being down a few percentage points. We’ve undergone massive martyrdom, corruption from the highest levels of the hierarchy, the Crusades, the Inquisition, the constant schisms and wars due to ecumenical friendly fire.

Here’s another promise of Christ:

“I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.”(Matthew 16:18b)

No matter the dire circumstances, it will remain.

The Wrong Ways to Respond

In the interim, you may be wondering what to do in the middle of this storm. I have read many blog posts, and a disproportionate number have taken these results and used them as a weapon in some sort of bully pulpit, to complain about every problem that they perceive they’ve had from their youth groups and church services.

Listen close.

If. you. are. complaining… you are part of the problem.

Christ stated that the world will know by our… (you guessed it)… love. Not our stellar music programs, not our fantastic rhetorical prowess, not our timeless liturgical structure (or lack thereof).

Our love.

For those who hate guitar masses, and 1960’s relics, “They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love” may sound like nails on the blackboard.  But it is true, and it is timeless.

The Purpose of Liturgy

A number of bloggers have written about the desire for authentic liturgy (in the midst of having sermons that are hard-hitting).

Guess what.  It is not the function of liturgy to give you music you prefer, or answer every apologetical attack on the faith.

The function of liturgy is worship. Period. End of story.

If you learn something from the homily, that is icing on the cake. But you can learn something at any time. Read a book. Peruse thoughtful articles or blog posts.

As that great theologian Steven Wright has stated… “I got a humidifier and a dehumidifier. So I put them in the same room and let them fight it out.”

If you are flummoxed by an article of the faith, there are more than enough resources to seek out answers to your questions. Go straight to the source, use google search, and read up all you can. Or go to the websites, peruse the forums, and ask for people to share their stories.

It is unrealistic for a priest, a deacon, a volunteer youth minister, a religious ed teacher, or anybody else to read your mind, know exactly what your struggles lie, and be able to answer every single question, at exactly the moment you desire some sort of answer.

Furthermore, just because you are struggling with such a conundrum, does not mean that the majority of people there are. In fact, if a hot potato is addressed to a group that is ill-prepared for such questions, their eyes will glaze over, and all the teaching will be lost.

If you love the faith, then you are responsible for maintaining it. Nobody else.

And I reiterate: liturgy is not about serving your intellectual needs, nor satisfy your musical palette. It is about entering into the mystery and the drama of Christ’s salvation story, and allowing Him to redeem us, corporately, and individually. It is about the saving of our souls.

I’m no fan of badly performed music at liturgy, nor am I desirous of poorly crafted homilies or when the priest changes things around a bit. But none of these things take away the graces found in the Eucharist.

The Church and Controversial Issues

Lastly, a lot of people have wondered that Christianity’s stances on specific hot potato issues have doomed it. Contraception, homosexuality, women in the clergy, sex-outside-of-marriage, in-vitro fertilization, and the like.

Personally, I stand with the Church on these issues. But I recognize that behind these issues are a deeper longing, a deeper desire for acceptance.

And if the Church comes down on a position that you do not agree with, I must encourage you, to not write it off just yet.

Instead, dig deeper.

Read the Vatican documents and papal encyclicals yourself. Read interviews from those who are personally vested in this story. Understand. Respect.

But also look at the bigger picture.

The “Nones” Have No Answer

Months ago, I had written to reddit, asking the Christian board, for those who have faith, if they do not go to a church, what are the factors that would cause them to return. (This was an ecumenical board, and I had no aspirations of focusing specifically on my Catholic faith).

Every single complaint was, as I saw it, poorly thought out.

If they complained about the music not being to their liking, I asked why they didn’t go to a church that played music that they would like. No answer.

If they complained about disagreeing with the church about a specific contentious issue, I asked why they didn’t go to a church that agreed with them. No answer.

I even asked, that, supposing there was a church in their vicinity that happens to fulfill their deepest needs—doctrinally, musically, liturgically, and community-wise—how such a church would best let them know of their whereabouts. No answer.

For those who have left the church and joined the “nones”, many of them have allowed themselves to be caught up in a vicious cycle. Every problem they faced in their particular church will now be projected on every religious denomination and gathering, irregardless of that denomination’s actual doctrines and practices.

Love—Real Love–Is The Answer

What is going to reverse the trend? What is going to motivate them to return?

Love.

The kind that can’t be faked. The kind that goes above politics. The kind that goes beyond musical expression. The kind that may not know every answer, but knows how to find those answers. And the kind that respects them as persons, no matter how checkered their past is.

I’m talking about a love that permeates your heart, your soul, your mind and your strength. If you love with your heart, it must consume your very being, your deepest desires, your deepest longings. If you love with your soul, it involves a Sacramental theology, by which your souls are cleansed and fed, through God’s hand Himself. If you love with your mind, you must continually consume content, continually challenge yourself, continually read and understand, and continually engage our living, active faith. If you love with your strength, then you must put your faith into action, being obedient to God, even when nobody is looking.

Anybody who puts these four loves to the max, will find him or herself transformed by the Gospel, in a way that is attractive and vibrant to their neighbors. This is the Love that we share with them.

For those who think love is a flimsy, girly, Hallmark creation, I’ve got news for you. Love is a tiger. Love is all consuming, all encompassing, and beyond our knowing.

Stop misunderstanding love. I get that, for some, flimsy talks about “love” has brought the Church to this point. I don’t disagree. But here’s the irony: love—properly understood—is what will actually resolve this crisis.

It is time to take our faith seriously, and live it out to the fullness.