
Note: This is the text of a letter I sent to the New Hope family. It concerns a new sermon series- and so much more.
All sorts of
people- even mature, faithful Christians- are finding conventional religion
increasingly less satisfying,are attending church less regularly, and are
longing for new expressions of spiritual community.
Diana Butler-Bass, Christianity After Religion
Dear
friends,
On September 16th, I am beginning
a sermon series that may be the most important subject I have addressed in
years- and I want you to be there. The series is titled, Losing My Religion…rediscovering
God, and it is in response to a trend that has defined my entire adult
faith- and yours, too.
More and more people (perhaps you are one of
them?) speak of themselves as, “spiritual, but not religious”. The number of
people who identify themselves as having “no religious affiliation” has more
than doubled in the past decade, while the number of people who identify
themselves as “Christian” has dropped dramatically. Many more people talk about
believing in God, but don’t find church a meaningful way to connect with God.
Some have left altogether because church even hinders their connection to God
more than it helps.
So what is going on? Is this a sign of a generation that is
turning its back on God- or is it part of a movement of the Holy Spirit,
calling people to a deeper and more profound connection with God? That is what I want to explore in this
series. It may change the way you experience God, see the church and live your
faith.
It is a four-week series and it will address
subjects like:
- How
can ‘losing my religion’ be a good thing?
- Does
believing in God mean I have to distrust science?
- How
can I trust the Bible and how do I read it without having to fight about it?
- What
good is religion, anyway?
If you
haven’t been to church in a while, I especially want to invite you to this
series. I suspect that the reason you have found church less compelling has less
to do with being “too busy” and more to do with some deep dissatisfaction with
the church- and maybe with God. I want
to address those things.
If you
have been attending and participating regularly, by all means come- and invite
a friend who hasn’t been to church to come with you. If you are part of a LIFE
Group, I will have discussion materials available for you to use that should
spark some great and meaningful conversations.
Losing
My Religion,
is a series that I have been thinking about for a long time. At its core, I
think we (the whole church) have been focusing on the wrong things, arguing
about the wrong things, and worrying about the wrong things. In the process, we
are missing God. I want to tackle that
with you. It begins September 16th
and I hope you’ll be there.