our generation...

recently i have been making my way through two books that come from different angles but are aimed at kind of the same thing. the first is "unchristian" a book born out of research and study and the second is "pop goes the church" a book written from the perspective that getting ourselves into pop culture (or getting pop culture into the church) is a way of better communicating the message of God. after spending time listening to erwin mcmanus yesterday, it has been hammered home to me that the mainstream church in America is in a critical position. i have heard many preachers talk about the church being the hope of the world but at the same time have seen the christian community pull deeper and farther away from the culture and society God has placed us in. We spend most of our time working on ways to preserve our way of doing things, (seemingly for selfish reasons) and not nearly enough time getting outside of our subculture to join the conversation the world is having around us. my heart aches as i listen to old men talk about how far the church has come and at the same time ignore how far we have yet to go. my heart aches as week after week, opportunity after opportunity passes us where we choose to have our programs and meetings designed to please ourselves & other christians and perpetuate our mediocrity rather than to do specific things in specific ways to get out and reach the world around us. i know so many that are searching. searching for spiritual truth in the world around them and they are finding it. many in the wrong places and many finding false truths and my heart aches more because the church is absent. the church is often no where to be found in the conversation and that breaks my heart.