A lack of commitment?

I was emailed an article about the lack of commitment among Americans. It showed statistics that pointed to a diminishing sense of personal responsibility toward church. The report talked about a desire for spirituality, but not for connection to a local church.

So here is my question. Is the problem with the people or the church? It’s kind of like reading statistics about the lack of desire for education in the country. Is that the problem of the people or the educational system? It’s sure a question worth exploring? If people are not interested in a committed relationship to Christ, then what do they think that relationship entails? Are we (churches) communicating the life changing, personally transforming, spiritually empowering, grace showering, love giving life in Christ that people can have? Or do they see the gay bashing, Muslim hating, right wing leaning, isolationists who demand the world be just like them? Again, I am not talking about Bethany, but the universal church. We are an increasingly post-modern, post-Christian culture. Europe has been this way for years because of the more prevalent atrocities they have seen in the name of God. I think it’s time we gave the world a picture of God that is true to who He is.

I am not worried about people being committed to the church. It’s an institution in this country. I want people committed to Christ and His body. How that looks is going to drastically change in the next few years. We may be in a post-church age, but I think people are deeply longing for a spiritual connection. I want to show them what a true connection to God looks like. Not something adorned with traditional trappings, but saturated in transformation experiences.

Sorry for the ravings. I am fresh off of reading about sacred cows and spiritually dead churches. My feelings are a little raw.