Is Christianity Dead?

Well folks, another Christmas is in the books!

Christmas 2K16 is officially behind us. The eggnog has been consumed. Gifts gifted. Food coma endured. And for those brave souls who took on a real tree this year, its pine needles are officially all over the floor and will be mysteriously appearing in random crevices for the next 4 months.

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Ever since I was of “appropriate age,” my family has always gone to Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. It is one of my favorite memories and traditions. The caroling at 11pm. The candles. The trumpets. For the past, say, 15+ years, we have been going, and every year, we’d always get there right at 11:00, throwing elbows, and staking out our pew, as it is always standing room only. And don’t even bother coming at 11:15…because there will be no parking and you’re guaranteed to be standing – two deep – in the back.

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But over the past couple years, I’ve noticed that each Christmas, we don’t have to arrive quite as early. And the full-court-press/box-out/battle-to-the-death to get and save a pew has ever so gradually deescalated.

Until this year.

When the church was half empty.

Half empty.

For Midnight Mass. Christmas Eve.

There wasn’t a snow storm. The zombie apocalypse hasn’t happened….unless of course, I am terribly mistaken about that one..


But where the heck was everyone?

And I couldn’t help but ask myself, as I looked around and saw several dozen teenage boys counting the ceiling tiles, looking as though they wanted to die…is our faith on life support?

Are we experiencing the decline of faith and church as we know it?

Is Christianity dead?

And that friends, is not the type of thought pattern you want to be mulling over while in church, literally celebrating the birth of Christ.

As with everything in life, looking in the mirror is a hard thing to do. Facing the truth, acknowledging and accepting it…is an exercise in extreme humility, to say the least.

But let’s call it how it is…we are experiencing a decline in Christianity. Look it up. Pew studies. People identifying as Christian. Church attendance. Prayer. Christians actively living their faith are going down. Especially in Gen X’ers and Millennials.

And that. Is scary.

Leafing through the church bulletin after mass, I was almost in a fog. Nevermind the fact that it was nearing 2am and I had just come off a 7am flight from NYC the day before…but my mind was just swirling after witnessing the stagnant, lifeless state of my once vibrant and spiritually ablaze childhood parish. So I was numbly flipping through the pages.

And there was something that caught my eye.

There was, of course, a big “welcome” section in the front. Offering Christmas greetings to parishioners, out-of-towners, guests, non-Christians joining us, etc. All nice. Great.

And then there was the line, “We are your church family and are here for you!”

And I hate to admit this, but I’ve got to be honest….that really rubbed me the wrong way. It felt painfully disingenuous.

There’s a stereotype about “church people.” And I for one, hate even giving the time of day to negative stereotypes about people. Because they’re always hurtful and typically untrue.

But desperate times…

There is a decline in our faith, and it’s time to not mince words and take a cold, hard look in the mirror. Because like it or not, we are the face of the church.

But the stereotype is that “church people” are incredibly “judgey” people. That they prance around all hoity-toity and look down on “non-church people” and scoff at their “heathen ways.”


And we, as the face of the church, what are we going to do about that?

How are we going to fix that?

Because I can attest to the fact that that stereotype is, for the most part, false. 

But the commonly accepted (albeit misconceived) notion is that church is a boring, out-of-touch institution that is full of either judgy snobs, dowdy/orthopedic-shoe-wearing shut-ins, or “Jesus-freaks.”

And people don’t want anything to do with that.

So they just don’t come.

And I want to pause here for a second. I know this is only one factor. There are a lot of other issues – people having different priorities, having other interests, adopting “spirituality” while leaving behind “religion.” Not to mention the church’s often unpopular stances on hot button social issues, such as abortion and the sanctity of marriage, etc. This stereotype is only one contributing factor.

But you and I…we have a personal responsibility.

We have a job to do: and that is to change that stereotype. Turn people’s minds around. Change their hearts to be open to Christ and open to faith.

Is Christianity dead?

Only if we let it.

You can’t give away what you don’t personally have.

And if I want to share Christ’s love and have it be attractive and inviting to another person, I need to have it in my heart myself. I need to have His love be overflowing in my own life, so as to attract another person to Him. And attract them back to church.


The pathetic church attendance on Christmas Eve…I partially blame myself. Because I ask myself…how am I personally fighting to set the record straight on how a “church person” looks and acts.

Because I’m going to be honest…(and I hate to admit it)…but I don’t really wear my faith outspokenly on my sleeve, for fear of being labeled a “church person.” 


And I am filled with such shame typing that out, but it’s true. I don’t want to be labeled as “weird” or “out of touch” … so I keep my faith private. Let that be a personal part of my life that is between me and God.

But I realize now, that I am part of the problem.

My faith can’t be hidden. I can’t just be a silent by-stander as my church is red lining, in desperate need of rebranding and resuscitation.


Christianity is not dead. It is alive in our hearts. In our homes. In our prayers. But that is not enough.

I’m going to go out on a limb. For God. Invite someone to church with me.

Because at the end of the day, if Jesus can stretch out His arms and die on a limb for me, I can go out on one, for Him.

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651 responses to “Is Christianity Dead?”

  1. This is so spot on! (Especially your gifs haha)
    I think this generation is looking for something real and honest. And most of us Christians haven’t had “real” transforming relationships with God in a long time. Bringing people to church helps bring people to Jesus but bringing Jesus to people is what really starts to the fire! I agree. We have to let Jesus light shine thru us!
    Thanks for sharing!

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  2. You are correct about declining church atttendence, which is happening for a variety of reasons. It took a long time for me to be open about my faith at work. Guess what? No lightning bolt, the roof didn’t cave in and I have an atheist friend who appreciates my prayers for him and his family. An old camp song had a line….they will know we are Christians by our love. We are very much judged by our actions. Now, everyone at work knows they have an invitation to join me in church or pray for them. I also try to reach more people on my blog! Keep those invitations going! We have no idea what God may have planned for that person’s life ! So proud of you!

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    • Hi Rick, thanks for this reflection. That’s awesome that you opened up about your faith at work! Rock on! By our love – isn’t that the truth. Thanks for the encouragement! Merry Christmas! Hugs and love xox

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    • I think we have been quite about our faith because Catholics for a long time were discriminated against and we wanted to blend in to succeed and get social acceptance. I went to Athens public grade school and my peers told me I wasn’t Christian. It confused me, but that s what these third graders thought.

      I think people are waking up to the evil of abortion and infanticide. I think people,especially young people are increasingly pro-life since Stephen Crowder, Ben Shapiro, Andrew Klavan, Patricia Heston etc. are speaking out against it and it shows the rest of us how to.

      I pray for the Church and hope it’s leadership can atone for and repent for its sins. It must. The Holy Spirit needs to transform them.

      Your comments on weirdness made me think of the book Keep Christianity Weird. I got it at the library and didn’t get to finish it. The concept is spot on, despite some poor writing in parts.

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      • Thank you so much for your prayers and for sharing your experience. I’m sorry that you went through that in school. Yes, come Holy Spirit and transform us! Hugs and love xox

  3. I think Christianity will always be alive in the hearts and minds of those who worship and follow after what they believe is Christ like. However, I have gotten out of the ideology that “we need to be saving souls and converting non believers to Christianity.” Life is bigger than a religion, we are all here on a spiritual mission and people walk their own paths, living our there lives as per designated by the creator. My plan, is to help people, allowing the light within me to show, and give credit to my beliefs and my god for the glow. Everything else will flow whether the word Christianity remains forever or not.

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  4. Makes me wonder about my old church’s Christmas Eve services. There used to be 3, and then just 2, but they were still crowded.

    On a positive note my current church had about 30-35 people, though a dozen or so we’re the pastor and his family (including those from out of town), on Christmas Day!

    I hope yours was merry and bright (and may all your Christmases be white 😉)!

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  6. Amen! May we all wear our faith on our sleeves for the whole world to see.

    I often think of all those alleged hypocrites, the judgy ones, and the sensible shoes, and think yes! And we always have room for one more. Come join us.

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  7. Very, very incisive article, indeed! Personally, I can say that I have many FB friends and blog readers-followers, who are not Christian, BUT interestingly enough they are not against Jesus. Point in fact, Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, seems very attractive to some of them … but not the church. So you’ve really hit on an important topic and provided some really great insight. The ultimate question for me is: How can I allow Christ Jesus to shine in and through me more and more in a dark and desperate world? (Not so much how can I make the Church more attractive, because the Church will never be attractive unless and until Christ-followers are attractive because they’re overflowing with the Spirit of Christ.) Thank you for this article!

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    • Thank you so much for this awesome insight! Very interesting. You’re right- Jesus is inviting and alive. We need to get back to that excitement in church. Amen amen amen! So glad you stopped by! Big hugs xox

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  8. I think your observation is spot on, but I think the causes of decline are complex. Some are do the the behavior of some sects, and some due to aging. Here are four thoughts. (1) Historically, we know that attendance drops when the economy improves, and increases in down turns — and consumers are optimistic now. (Financial managers aren’t optimistic, just the uninformed public.) However, that pattern didn’t affect the holidays in the past. (2) Has the religious right and the politicization of religion alienated a lot of people? The people I know who identify with the religious right ARE judgmental and racist, and I don’t want to be around them. (3) My former church is as snobbish as all get out. I haven’t been there since my divorce and won’t go back. I did attend a service on Christmas at another place. (4) The hardcore church goers are aging baby boomers and midnight services no longer make physical sense for them. Most seniors don’t do midnight, even at home in front of a TV.

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    • Hey Vic, thank you for this powerful response. Lots of really great food for thought. These are really great points. This election has really made this time of year especially politically and emotionally charged and turned a lot of people off. And interesting thought about age. You’re right – the majority of attendees are not young people. Thanks for this. Merry Christmas! Hugs and love xox

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      • It was an okay Christmas I was stuck in the Europa storm. Church creates a culture but the organization and belief have been borrowed by other belief systems. We believe more in our sports teams than in our Jesus.

      • Sadly, I think you’re right about the sports teams. a tragic reality. But you know what, He can be alive in our hearts and we can be the counter culture 🙂 hope the storm passed 🙂 big hugs xox

      • That’s true, in our hearts. Story is a poweful medium, the story of the Catholic child abuse cover-ups was a negative light but also needed to be heard. That, actions of a few could create so much pain is awful. The awful emotion is, human. Humanity is all we have against a culture that is more apt to disrespect than understand. Reverend Martin Luther King would gather and train his protestors so much that they were not afraid when the hoses and clubs came. They fought a culture of oppression with their other freedoms and invoked change. Would it be great if we were all one religion? Kind of, the philosophy of our belief requires a sacrifice of self control in a world that seems very much free of control. It is in our surrender that we are the strongest together in religion, love, or culture.

      • Yeah that’s such a dark spot in catholic history. It absolutely breaks my heart. But honestly every church has its problems. That would be awesome if we all could come together in faith. What a world that would be 🙂

      • Faith then, that’s it. Dark moments reflect on the whole and in this era they are magnified and reflected everywhere. It is faith that pulls us together, after. I don’t feel like what I believe is better than others it’s in my heart. To not harm and love others. Like Jesus. I don’t testify it but try to build bridges between faiths and cultures.

      • I know being a part of something is important for millennials. The same force that wanted families in the 50’s wants to be everything now. Understanding that transition is important and where the church as well as the philosophy of religion can fit. Every generation wants it better and plans for change but success occurs only from action and several failures. I think our generation only understands success as one off deal and worships only successful people like, Steve Jobs. If they only knew his many many failures and the losses every person of faith must endure. They are similar but with context that faith endures.

      • You should, a little black dress gets you anywhere here but, locals are easy to spot. They are the ones that don’t look like they’re going to prom.

      • I was thinking about this. Bridges. Right? My parents are strict Catholics. My ex wife’s family is Baptist, I didn’t pressure anyone so my kids were baptized Baptist while I was invited to a Cambodian Temple. I learned a lot of meditation and the Thai side of Buddhism. I travel, so church is wherever I am. I am thinking, the rigid atmosphere of Catholicism does less for itself at present. I have experienced a lot um, sometimes. I’m at a pew on a Sunday and it feels like he’s just going through the motions, himself. Every reflection should be the reflection of the whole so we increase the church’s numbers not dwindle off to our own worlds. It seems both are at stalemate with each, the church and it’s patrons. When rather they should be reflections of each other.

  11. Hi Carolyn…you may have seen this blog but in case you haven’t, this young man “nails it” addressing many of the reasons why millenials are leaving the church.
    http://www.recklesslyalive.com/12-reasons-millennials-are-over-church/
    So often the organized church doesn’t know how to do relationships…they end up prioritizing programs and miss it regarding encouraging authentic relationships. The church has become formulaic instead of people oriented. I believe that if people sense God’s love in the church and feel that they are truly cared for as individuals they will want to be in that kind of community and will make time for it. You are right though, the solution begins with those of us within the church. We are the church…we are the solution.

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  13. Caralyn, this is such a beautiful and inspiring post. I’m sure God has a huge smile on His face right now because of what you have written! 🙂

    I do have a question for you that I have been meaning to ask you for a while….
    With all due respect, I’m curious to know what religion you are! I am a Catholic 🙂

    Merry Christmas!! xoxo

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  14. Christianity will never die; it cannot. But it will morph in its expression; which it has forever.

    To me, James has advice for the church today –

    James 1:19-20 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

    People just want to tell their stories and have their stories be heard. THAT .. is attractive. And judgey = angry as people see it. We have expected people without faith to live as if they were people who had faith. Quash our anger and just love.

    This is not to brag, but just to say something I got to do in the past few months. A woman I work with has a wife. We’re friends and talk about our wives a bit, which still takes getting used to, to be honest. She told me her partner was expecting a child. My wife immediately went to work, crocheted an amAZing baby blanket so beautiful it brought tears. I brought to the shower they held at work. Because that’s what you do.

    Would they be welcome in our churches? Even if so, they probably wouldn’t FEEL welcome.

    I don’t think it was any different in ancient Corinth when Paul got there and where the church thrived. People were loved right out of their messes. Because that’s what you do.

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    • Thank you so much, my friend. I appreciate this powerful response. You’re right- I don’t think it will ever did either. But I do think it needs to work to stay relevant and inviting to all. That’s an insightful verse. So true. Being heard is what we all long for. What a beautiful story that you shared. Thanks for sharing that. I bet she felt so loved and that she mattered. Loved out of their messes-amen to that. Merry Christmas! Hugs and love xox

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  15. Yes, you are absolutely right. It is in my belief that Christianity will never die. There will always be a group of believers, no matter how few. We have to remember that Christ lost MANY followers when he began to teach the hard teaching. His 12 apostles, Mary Magdalene, and His most blessed Mother were the only consistent followers. He only had 3 of his followers at the Crucifixion while everyone else fled and hid out of fear and while Judas hung himself. ” It is the quality of one’s convictions that determines success, not the number of followers” (Yes, I quoted from “Harry Potter” lol). At my parish, we had a full house. Even had people standing because there weren’t enough seats. I credit that to the kind of Christians we have there. It’s the kind of Christian that makes you want to become Christian. It’s truly a house of family, redemption, and forgiveness. Sadly, many parishes and other churches scare off people who only need that Christian charity to turn to Christ. Instead of preaching AND practicing charity, they ONLY focus on damnation… fear of hell… judgement… I always like to say “would you rather have a convert walk into a church trembling out of fear of damnation or smiling with the hope of salvation?”

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  17. The Church is not dead, and never will be; what can die is the impact that the Church has on the World around it. It does not matter if the church you go to has hundreds, thousands, or just 20 people in it during a service. What matters is the impact of those church goers and what they do to serve the Kingdom of God in the world around them. Even if at some point you and/or me, are the only Christians left in the world, Christianity will still very much be alive if we embody it in ourselves, and in our actions in how we treat others and help others. God Bless!

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    • Thanks for this reflection, Chase. You’re right – it will never be dead. But i do think it needs to work on working to be inviting and welcoming. You’re right, the size of the church does not matter. Amen to that – it will be alive in our hearts. Thanks for the food for thought 🙂 hugs ox

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  18. I thought a similar thing Sunday morning. I have a really hard time being in crowds, but I decided to suck it up and go to church. I mentally prepared the whole way there because I knew surely it would be packed for Christmas. There was less than half the regular attending members. It was so empty. It used to be a thing to point out the ECO Christians (Easter and Christmas Only) but now just no one goes.

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    • Thanks for this reflection, Lorri. I appreciate you sharing your experience. That’s so sad, that your church was half full as well. Yeah, sadly I think that’s the trend. But we can do something! Thanks for stopping by! hope you had a merry christmas! xox

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  19. Before Pope Francis, our church had a judgy voice. At least that’s how it sounded in the pews. Let’s support his call for mercy with how we live our lives. More compassionate and Christ like.

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  20. As a church person for years I appreciate and share your concern. Too many times I hear from others and sometimes from a little voice inside me “it’s their fault if they do not want to come to church. We are right and they are wrong.” But that sort of negates Jesus simple statement that we are to be witnesses of what we know he did. Live out what we believe, reflect his love in our lives and then get out of God’s way. The church is made up of all believers. But it would be great if we could sit next to them sometime. Another good one. Thank you. Always makes me know I need to get busy. John

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    • Thanks for this, John. You’re right – I always have to remember who Jesus spent His time with. Amen to that – we’ve got to live what we believe. And always make room in our pew for someone new to sit 🙂 thanks for stopping by! hope you had a great christmas! hugs xox

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  22. Caralyn this contains wonderful insights. I have to second what noble themes has said here. And I do see the judgy kind of Christian and unfortunately I was one until a few years ago. I remember discussing this with a Bishop once, and he said our sense of holiness should not hinder us from relating to people. One observation I’d like to add- is how we as a culture are doing more on line and at home, including faith. Stats on malls and shopping centers show that huge numbers of people are avoiding them because of online business. So I suspect the same is true for the faith world. Great post so thank you.

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  23. Thanks. I have independently come to the conclusion that Christians, Catholics particularly, have to stop apologizing for who we are and the values we hold. Most importantly we must reaffirm our aspiration for Eternal Life with God.
    The false promises of secular materialism can be thwarted only by His Love.

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  24. As it becomes less “popular” to talk about and express faith… maybe it simultaneously becomes more important that we do. I think the main difference in today’s society is just that there are hundreds of more distractions in our everyday lives… if you don’t want to make time for God, you’ve got dozens, if not hundreds, of other options in terms of how you might spend your time. God hasn’t changed, though, and perhaps she’s the only thing that hasn’t and never will.

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  25. Can’t speak as a Catholic (lol cause I’m a Protestant Presbyterian), but I would echo some of the themes you brought up. But I would guess that there are many reasons why church attendance has decreased across the board. Maybe part of the fact is that people who are “Millennials” or younger people in general do not feel a need to be a member of a group. Also from my personal experience I think the impact of moralistic therapeutic deism (MTD) had a great affect on people growing up in the church. MTD watered down is that good things = entrance into heaven. MTD has affected many people across many generations and has resulted in people not “wearing their faith on their sleeve.” But as I said I think it incorporates a lot of things, but the teaching of “doing good things gets you into heaven” has had a negative affect. Telling people to do good things is not inherently wrong, but it s making sure people know why we do those things that has been often left out.

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    • Thanks for this reflection, Casey. That’s an interesting millennial characteristic that I hadn’t considered but you’re so right. Being part of a group is almost seen as a negative! Such powerful food for thought. Thanks for sharing. Hugs and love xox

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  26. When I was in college, we discussed how New Zealand was becoming dead to the faith and that the United States is next. My excuse for not being a Christian until I got older was my home church. It was so boring. It was not kid oriented. The music was very, very slow and difficult to sing to. Nearly every person in the church was old. Even Sunday School was not fun because as middle school kids, we were forced to sing little kid songs and do ridiculous actions. It was not until I got into college and attended a contemporary service that I began to grow in my faith. It upset my mom that I was not attending the right denomination church but I was having fun and eventually gave my life to Christ. Even now, when I go home, I am able to see the problems with my mom church. The service comes right out of the book. Every week it is the same thing. I am able to easily tune everything out because it will always be the same.
    I know that is not the whole reason that people are losing their faith but it almost became one of mine.

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    • Thank you so much for sharing this. I’m so glad you found a place where your faith could come alive. That’s so awesome. I’m all for reverence and having church be sacred. That is important. But there are little things that could be done be inclusive and more inviting and just invigorating! Haha glad you stopped by! Hugs and love xox

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  27. very interesting post, I have to say there is a fine balance because we can never really change people’s heart/mind god has to do that. On the other side, you are right about people not being outspoken about their faith and being judgemental and etc. I think the most important thing that we, as Christians can do, is OBEDIENCE to God no matter who is watching or not watching we have to answer to God.

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    • This is such a great reflection. Thank you so much. You’re right, obedience — which is a word that honestly a lot of people hate nowadays – is what matters. Because when we follow His ways, we are guaranteed to be on the right path. Glad you stopped by! hugs ox

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  28. Out Church was full on Christmas Day which was lovely but on a usual Sunday there are only about 12 of us roughly. I tell people I go to church and quite often they are supposed because of the reasons you say and I don’t fit their stereotype thought of a church person. A friend and I have exciting ideas and are allowed to use them at the family service to attract more young people as at the moment only my family go! That’s four children! Quite frankly the services aren’t interesting for many and it needs to change. I’m excited about the new year and hopefully spreading interest in God and bringing people together to celebrate!

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    • Hi Sam, thanks for sharing this. THat’s so great that your church was full! woo! Sounds like your church is really doing a great job in reaching people. Gosh, I would love to come to your family service! Yes, celebrating is I think what has been forgotten over the years. Church is a celebration – of faith, of God, of the resurrection, of salvation — and we should be treating it as such! thanks for stopping by! hugs xox

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  29. ….and they’ll know we are Christians by our LOVE! Thanks for posting this. Thankfully, my church was nearly full on Christmas Day. We shouldn’t be ashamed of the truth of the gospel, it’s the only way for people to be saved!

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  30. It isn’t and never will be dead Dooga x. God is increasing his work behind the scenes in peoples lives but sadly so is satan being a Christian isn’t meant to be easy I know from experience recently. I think the enemy wants us to believe that it is but it never will x

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  31. I’ve read wonderful comments but would like to add an idea to the mix that I haven’t yet seen. Maybe the world doesn’t need to see relevance and branding as much as they need to see ability. Do I care to serve a god that can do little to change my world, but requires more of me than I have to give on my own? How would our lives and churches change if we were shown a God who has the power to change lives, including mine, because he has the power to raise the dead? I’ve been in church my whole life, and loved Jesus my whole life, but haven’t ever heard until 3 years ago, “When you meet Jesus, nothing will stay the same, because Jesus changes everything!” And I find it to be true! When the church realizes that walking with Jesus means that we have the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead living in us, and when we start acting and speaking like those who saw Jesus raised from the dead, and when we begin expecting that his Spirit in us and in our churches will change lives, because that is just what Jesus does – then those who are hungry will come. They need to meet a God who can change lives, and hearts, and circumstances – a God bigger than they and their world! That is the God the New Testament church proclaimed. That is the God of the Old Testament Hebrews. That is the God our world seeks.

    And yet, when that God came in the form of man, they crucified him while those who were hungry bowed before him. We must expect both, as the woman above stated well.

    I have found, by God’s grace, a church who expects Jesus to be Jesus through us. Marriages have been restored, addictions have been broken, lives have been dramatically changed, because Jesus does that. It is amazing, and people are coming to Christ, and our church is for now growing dramatically. From about 85-2300 in about 6 years. Jesus said, “If you lift me up, I will draw all men to myself”.

    That is the kind of God our world seeks.

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    • Thank you for this awesome perspective! What a thoughtful response. That’s terrific that your church is growing! wow! But you’re right about that – meeting Jesus changes people. Changes things. People need to feel that when they’re in church. Because *that’s* what makes church come alive – it is the Spirit in peoples hearts. Because that overflows into all areas and relationships — just like you said. thanks for stopping by! and merry christmas! hugs xox

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  32. Our faith is not on life support. We are. We are turning away from the bread of life and starving as a result.

    Your post hits a nerve, Caralyn. Do you know all the posts out there that list “197 reasons why millennials are leaving the church?” Those have always aggravated me. Part of it is Paul’s clear words that Christians are not permitted to leave church, no matter what mistakes the church makes. If someone was hurt by the church, their faith was in people, not God. As for non-Christian millennials, they’ve got bigger problems than simply not being in a church building.

    But part of it is that these lists carry a smack of entitlement – “the church isn’t meeting MY needs!” – when the church isn’t there to meet our needs but to equip us to meet others’. God doesn’t command “scratch and claw to get your needs met”. He commands “take care of others and I’ll take care of you.” This attitude is tragically absent from our generation’s approach to the church. There’s less and less attitude of “I’m the problem, now I’ll be the solution” and more “where’s the Church Return Department?”.

    It’s an unpopular post you made here, but necessary. Way to nail it on the head. I’ll be doing a post about this myself in a couple of weeks…I just hope I’m as gracious as you were.

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  33. You do realize that Christianity extends beyond the Catholic church, right? My church is full every week, but we are more like the church from the book of Acts – praise n worship, healing, deliverance, speaking in tongues, and presence of God so thick it raises chill bumps! And yes, we love EVERYBODY who walks in the door!

    Reply

    • Hi Christi, thank you for this perspective. Yes, I definitely do realize that. That’s terrific that your church is full! woo!! 🙂 That’s why I included the sources where I found my information…becuase you’re right, Catholic churches are definitely on the decline in church attendance, but all christian churches have been experiencing a decline … some definitely more than others. But the number of people who describe their religion as “none” are significantly on the rise. So, it’s not just a Catholic problem, though perhaps it is more pronounced and evident there. Anywho, thanks so much for stopping by and for sharing your thoughts! Hope you had a merry christmas! 🙂 hugs xo

      Reply

  34. My perspicacious friend, you needn’t brand yourself as a church person. Just as a jesus person. And there’s a fabulously easy way to do this: anytime someone compliments you on a habit or action that springs from your faith in Jesus, all you have to do is say, “I did this (or gave that) or am like this because of Jesus.” Then move on. If the listener wants to hear more, they will ask you, I guarantee it. Otherwise, you have given them something to think about without being obnoxious.

    Years ago, when I was much closer to your current age, I used to get lots of compliments on my politeness, which was cultivated in a very polite family. I always accepted the compliments as my just due, not realizing that honestly Jesus is my only reason for being kind to anyone. Now if someone says i am behaving well, I tell them it’s only because of Jesus. If they are still listening after that, I tell them that Jesus is my ONLY reason to be good to anyone. And if they are still listening after that, I may sometimes add that so long as we don’t live too close to each other, they can keep on thinking I am a nice, good, whatever, person.

    As always, you have given your readers another excellent, thought-provoking post. Keep up the good work!

    Reply

    • Thanks for this, Gwenn. What a powerful way to open up a conversation about Jesus. I’ve never heard of that “starter” before, but I’ll definitely have to use that in the future! Amen to that – He is the only reason for anything! thanks for stopping by! big hugs xox

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  35. Fun-Fact: First-century Christians didn’t call themselves that – they were called that as a derogatory term.

    I hear where you’re coming from, I’ve seen the same things. But I have one or two objections that crop up in my mind. First of all being, the new covenant is between Jesus, Father, and Holy Spirit, we’re just included as beneficiaries. It isn’t our job to keep the covenant alive, it isn’t our job to keep Jesus alive. But it is our part to continue in the relationship with him, believe and receive. It’s Jesus’ work to transform lives, so while you’re feeling the pain of a dieing thing…it isn’t necessarily the life that is important.

    I’ll try and clarify; I absolutely believe in the Church, which you know. I don’t believe in ‘church institution’ or ‘christian culture’. I believe in people sharing Jesus’ blood, body and resurrection power and life.

    But what I think (and hope) we’re seeing right now is a shift from traditional ‘church’ to new covenant christ-life empowered church, ‘further up and further in,’ as CS Lewis wrote.

    But take comfort; Jesus won’t give up on his Bride, he is SO faithful, and there isn’t anything more true about Jesus than love. He is love, and he isn’t a democracy; there isn’t anybody in the world who can opt out of his love. The Bride is safe in the hands of Father (:

    And it’s just natural that people enamoured with Jesus spill it all over everyone around them at least a little bit. Sure there’s some intentionality about that but ultimately? It’s up to Jesus, and he isn’t afraid of nor surprised by our humanness [=

    Reply

    • Hi Carson, wow, this is so powerful and insightful. Thank you for sharing. You’re right, it IS up to Jesus. That’s His job. We are just beneficiaries, as you said. I guess it all comes down to trust, like you said — trust that He is in control and will find His way into our lives, one way or another. Thanks for stopping by! hope you had a beautiful Christmas. big hugs xox

      Reply

      • Right (: I take great comfort, again, in Jesus’ love, because now I know that the man who would die for the history of men, of COURSE he would go to the ends of the earth for anyone out of love for them, he’s crazy about us. That takes so much pressure off me to make myself and other people ‘right’ with God, or to bring people to him. I have to trust that his life through me is the greatest affect I can have, and that post-cross there is no gap to bridge anymore. He really did take care of it, and it really is finished (:
        I did have a lovely Christmas, thankyou!

      • Yes, very well-placed comfort indeed. You’re right- I don’t think we’ll ever truly understand how a single word we say or a smile we give can make a world of difference to someone. We are all each others’ angels on earth because God uses everyone for His will. Amen to that – no more gap! 🙌

  37. Well, we are Christians too but our religion don’t celebrate Christmas (I mean the Christmas the rest of the world knows)
    Anyway, as what I’ve noticed to the rest of the people around me, it seems that they care less and less about religion and faith and God. Some even stop believing God!
    It’s unfortunate really…
    Teenagers in our place are devotees of the Black Nazarene because they flirt with fellow teenagers in the group
    They attend Christmas Mass because they have dates with their flings
    They changed religions because their friends/peers belong there too or their apple of the eye has a different religion
    It’s really sad to think that faith doesn’t matter to most people nowadays…

    Reply

    • THanks for sharing this powerful perspective. You’re right, it really is sad. We’ve got to cling to God, not matter what the rest of the world is doing. Thanks for stopping by! Hugs and love xox

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    • Oh no! I’m sorry it disappeared! I don’t know what happened there. but thanks for adding this great perspective to the conversation 🙂 I’ll check the “spam” folder for your comment (even though it’s not spam) . Sometimes wordpress accidentally filters some messages if it doesnt recognize the email address … it’s really annoying. haha

      Reply

      • No, I was not using my regular tablet. I think your faith is doing well, and will be around for a long time. I wanted to add to myself point about parishes by just giving a couple examples. In my area of Middle Village, Queens there are two

      • No, maybe the problem is WordPress itself tonight. There are two parishes near me that are doing well, and my sister’s parish in Kent, Ohio has made a profound difference in her life and that of her husband.

  40. Another thing to remember: Our Lord promised that He would be with the Church until the end of time and the powers of Hell would not prevail against it.

    The devil will always try to destroy Her, but in the end Christ will triumph.

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  41. My concerns about religious life are probably different from yours. Not just because I’m a Jew and you’re a Catholic. It’s more because I’m not worried about religion dying. There will, I think, be Catholics and Jews and Hindus and Muslims for a long, long time to come. But I worry that our representatives are all from far to the religious right.

    Progressive Jews and Christians are drowned out by the religious right. I belong to a shul that supports interfaith endeavors, a pluralist outlook and gay marriage. I understand that’s not everyone’s thing, and that’s fine. People should follow their faith as they understand it, as long as they don’t trample on the civil rights of others in the process.

    But I hate that so many people think the only choice is between the hard, anti-gay, anti-pluralist, us-against-them style religious right and complete secularity. That’s a false choice. Many of us view God as capable of reaching out to humanity in multiple ways. (God may be One, but God is a rich, multi-faceted One.)

    So what I fear is the death of progressive religion in the face of an ever more rigid ultra right view of religion. And it’s not that there shouldn’t be both a right and a left wing to religion–we may well need both. But I’m terrified of a world with only the right-most understanding of God.

    Reply

    • Hi Jenn, thank you so much for this awesome perspective. I agree. I have that worry too. That its grip is too clenched around ultra ultra conservative, traditional things, when doing so is driving people away. It’s a very complex issue. One that a single blog post can’t even begin to hash out. Haha But
      I so appreciate your insight. Hope you’re having a happy Hanukkah! Hugs and love xox

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  42. Well said. You reminded me of my personal ministry focus which I got from a book called Ministry of Healing: “Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, “Follow Me.”” –MH 143.

    A really good look at what’s happening for young people is contained in the book “You Lost Me.” https://www.amazon.com/You-Lost-Me-Christians-Rethinking-ebook/dp/B005LOPNRU/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1482807154&sr=1-1&keywords=you+lost+me

    It’s available as an audiobook. I have some unused credits with Audible. I would be happy to gift it to you if you want to check it out. Like a late Christmas present.

    Reply

  43. And again I am floored because I wrote on a similar topic (amazing how that seems to work a lot) and then read your/this blog and thought how beautiful your insights are. Second thought, you are doing a great job of your part to help followers of Love/Jesus look as real as He did Himself with everyone and inviting and loving, etc. And I thought, yes, if we all loved and lived love, what a different place this would be and people would see so well that Jesus is not only the only hope we really ever have but that following Him would be such an amazing thing to make the world such a better place. 🙂 Love you! Hugs! Keep up the good work!!!

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  44. Great read and filled with truth. There is much to think about and pray about as the image and function of the church is directed once again to Kingdom and Righteousness. The standard of God has been lowered and the people of God have become distracted with world approval, forgetting that we must face Him! Keep up the great work! There is a bright future for the church but without reflection and honesty, it will fail.

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  45. Oh, and just to clarify because we writers do that sort of thing (lol), I think we often write about the same thing because I think God sends messages in waves to different people and they interpret those waves differently. Just my thoughts…. lol 🙂

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  46. My heart aches for those who do not RUN to be with Him!! And my heart aches for Him, as He waits for all His beloved to cross the threshold of His doorway to draw near. I am sure the love ❤️ which you brought to Him this past Midnight Mass helped to console His heart. (Our Midnight Mass was FULL…body, mind, and Spirit.) Continue to be BRAVE by boldly drawing others to Him in the way you choose to share your life…in WORD and deed!! Hugs n’ Blessings!!!

    Reply

    • Thanks so much Dawn. I agree, because with Him, life is so much brighter and filled with so much joy and peace. That’s great to hear that your mass was full! That’s terrific! I appreciate your encouragement! Big hugs and merry Christmas! Xox

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  48. It’s when I read posts like this, I wish there was a *love* button to click on. You hit the nail square on the head. As Christians, we all need to be the hands and feet of Jesus. I’ve always been one to share what Jesus has done for me, and I’m sure sometimes people thing I am long-winded and share too much at all time, but I will continue to share for anyone that will listen. God charges us to share His story. And as we live by His grace we learn to show others grace and become his ambassadors.

    Reply

    • Thanks Carlene. Wow, what a kind thing to say. I really appreciate the encouragement! So true – be the hands and feet of Jesus. Amen! You keep on sharing that, girl! People need to hear it! You’re inspiring 🙂 big hugs and Merry Christmas! xox

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  49. I too have felt the inner fear of being labeled weird or out-of-touch. I’ve just used different words. I’ve worried about being “sanctimonious” or “holier than thou.” But, you make great points that Christianity (and in particular, Catholicism) will be alive in our hearts, homes and prayers when we serve as modern examples of Jesus Christ’s love and generosity. Posts like this are just that . . . part of the solution. Thanks for taking that first step and being a great model for others!

    Reply

    • Hi Brian, thank you so much for your encouraging words. that’s kind of you to say. Yeah, alive in our hearts is good. But sometimes, when that situation arises, and we have the opportunity to take it out of our heart and onto our sleeve, I pray that I have the strength to share. Thanks for stopping by and for this great insight! big hugs xo

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  50. I have found showing we have the same problems, but have a different response shows our faith and we need to express Christ love and His ways to others, not just slogans and bumper sticker stuff. We need to show His kindness to all.

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    • Thank you so much for this beautiful reflection. you’re so right – we need to move past the bumper stickers and really show His kindness to all. 🙂 Great food for thought! big big hugs xox

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  52. Is modern religious life dead? For the most part yes ..Is the Church practice of the Christian faith a living and relevant to the message of faith it claims to profess? I doubt it. ..Does it reach out and meaningfully touch the lives of the community around it the way once did? No. ..Is Christianity dead? Not even a little bit.

    I don’t know if this will make sense, but it should. Faith, it’s expression and relevance seems to me to be a lot like water. It doesn’t collect on the high rooftops of the buildings we build for it. And it is only our willfulness that will make it act that way.
    It’s glory can be seen displayed in fountains arcing into the sky and lit for special occasions. But outside our hands it makes it’s way down, trickling into the low and dry places where is pools and collects where it needs to be. Faith needs to be observed and followed, and yes celebrated.

    And the message of Christmas starts this story. The descent of the God and the Holy Spirit through Christ his son to the lowest of places, amongst animals in an out of the way cave where, for our redemption, he was made flesh to live among us, to walk with us, to suffer with us and to humbly offer up it’s life for us.. so that we could understand the fullness of Gods love.

    Did I go to church to a church at Christmas. No. ..Did I plan to go? No. What did I do for Christmas and why does it matter to me that Christianity is not dead?

    For Christmas, I firmed a reconciliation with my daughter and my son. I joyously celebrated with our combined families where we chose to renew our commitments to love and honour one another in this troubled world. I worked with a young person with serious mental illness who is struggling to recover from a devastating and damaging addiction who found out Christmas day that his father is dying of cancer. I spent time with two different people struggling in recovery who tried to take their own lives in the past few days, and prayed with them for a third who had locked themselves away from the world to do the same because they could not find their way out of the darkness towards Gods love and light. I spent time with a single father who has very young and very troubled boys who was humiliated by his family during a Christmas dinner after returning from church. For him, it was an attempt at reconciliation and peace with his family after years of struggle with what can only be called inner demons that led him to very dark places. It was Christ’s message that sustained him through this difficult time and allowed him to respond in love and genuine compassion rather than turning away and inwards towards self-destructive behaviour and a deadly addiction from which he has been so recently relieved.

    Non of these people worshipped in church on Christmas either. Nor are any of them members of an organized religion, nor are they likely to join one.

    But all of us shared in one thing. Our lives were all deeply and profoundly touched in a joyous and glorious way this Christmas by God’s love and work in this world. And by the message of faith that is professed in Christianity. All of us became aware of this act that was as small as a single infant, born miles away from what we would deem proper, a small light in the lowest place at the darkest time of their lives that joined us all together to rejoice.

    If you have ever been on this journey you will understand well what I mean.

    Is Christianity dead. I think not. We just need to walk out into the world to find it.

    Reply

    • Wow what a powerful reflection. Thank you so much for sharing this. It sounds like you had a truly meaningful and beautiful Christmas. I’m so happy for you. You’re right, god’s love is alive in the love in the world. And that is truly something to celebrate. Hugs and love xox

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  54. Beautiful piece that pierces the heart. Remember, the bible says that there will be a great falling away before the Lord returns (2 Thess. 2:3). I believe we are in that time, and it is sad to see. I love those midnight services as wel, and no one has them in small town Iowa anymore.

    Reply

    • Thanks so much Pete. Glad it hit home with you. That’s so true – leave it to the Word to really clear things up and show us the way. Oh gosh, that’s so sad that there are no midnight services around you! I’m sorry to hear that. All I know is that I’m very grateful to have such great people in my life, like you, who give me hope that Christ’s light is still burning brightly! 🙂 big hugs to you and merry christmas 🙂

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  55. I didn’t realize you were a Papist! Guess we can’t be friends anymore…

    Just kidding!

    The problem isn’t really with Christianity it’s with mainline Christianity in the West. And this is to be expected honestly. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. The faith of Jesus isn’t really for us it’s for the poor. We aren’t poor physically. We’re poor spiritually. Jesus said over and over that wealth was a great barrier to faith. Pentecostalism and other forms of Christianity are flourishing in Africa, South America, and China. Jesus knows where his people are and his people are the poor. Widows, orphans, handicapped, homeless, disease ridden…those are his people. That’s who he sent Saint Anthony & Saint Francis to. That’s who he sent Mother Theresa to. That’s who the Heavenly Father sent him to!

    It really is not surprising that Western Christianity is so weak. Faith in Jesus uplifts and makes bad things good. It gives strength to the poor and oppressed.

    During the reformation and counter reformation the anabaptists shined the brightest. One bishop famously exclaimed the people chase after them as if they were the saints of old.

    If there is no cost to following Jesus and no benefit why would anyone do it?

    The early Christians waited in the latrines in Rome so they could save aborted babies.

    The adults in America have made their choice and there isn’t much we can but pray and witness to the truth, but the babies…There has to be a way for us to hamper the death machine more. We need to start looking for ways to be disobedient to Caesar. The babies don’t belong to him, they belong to their maker.

    But this is a tough reality to face. Our true face has been revealed and we are not the winter soldiers we believed ourselves to be. We are the soldiers of a long and easy summer.

    I don’t attend church anymore myself because of emotional abuse I experienced. I think I’m almost ready to go back but the anxiety of potentially being used again keeps me away. It’s tough. But we can all rest assured in the fact that nothing really depends on any one of us: for Jesus has overcome the world. And us summer soldiers are still a part of his grand plan. If we only remain faithful wherever we are we are doing enough.

    Reply

    • Jesus has overcome the world. Amen to that. Hi friend, thank you so much for this thoughtful reflection and for your kind words. I’m sorry that your were hurt by the church. That breaks my heart, and I hope you know that you did not deserve to be treated poorly. You really brought up a lot of powerful food for thought here. You’re right, faith in Jesus *does* make bad things good and really does turn things around. You’re right, it’s easy to forget that when life is easy and you want for nothing. Really powerful stuff. thanks for sharing. big hugs and merry christmas xox

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  56. Reblogged this on Frick Writes: A Mind Body Soul Journey and commented:
    Ugh….it’s funny I know I chose to not blog this month because I am doing some revamping and catching up on much needed research, goal setting and family time…

    And yet I’m blogging or should I say re-blogging a lot!!!

    But…..I can’t help but share some of the most incredibly wise and deep though provoking things this young lady posts and shares!!!!

    So the question I leave you with is….
    Are you living out your faith in a way that someone would say….
    “Yep she’s a Jesus freak!”…..

    Or does no one even have a clue you go to church!!!

    How can you be an intentional disciple?!

    Sit with that….pray about it….write about….
    Many blessings dear readers…family….friends…
    ~Kelly:-)

    Reply

  57. I AM going to share this because I agree with everything you said .. is Christianity dead? Good Question. I am part of the problem
    Because I love to say my relationship with God is personal . Maybe it’s time to share a bit more of it

    Reply

  58. Well a few thoughts…
    1) Christianity can’t die. Not because we won’t let it but because of who actually is the builder of the Church, that would be Christ Himself. He uses means, no doubt, but without His sovereign hand working through the Spirit of God within His people it would fail. This is what John 17 and John 6 is about. The Father giving to the Son a people in love. The Son purchasing them with His atoning life, death and resurrection. And the Spirit empowering them to persevere. The Church’s success is an act of unity within the Triune God of the universe–not the Church–, it can’t fail.
    2) Certain churches in certain areas are growing not declining. I can think of a few areas in particular. My home church and a few that we give financially to in Africa and elsewhere. Also the underground churches in China and the Middle East are thriving within persecution(there is a plethora of information out there on this).
    3) When churches dwindle it’s not always death, it’s often purification. When a larger congregation seems to be dwindling, it’s sometimes a good thing. It tends to show the tares from the wheat. A “Christmas and Easter christian” is hardly a Christian at all, so it’s not even a good barometer of whether or not Christianity is dying(again it can’t, so long as Christ is on the throne reigning–last I checked, He is).
    4) Finally, I meant this for last, the Roman Catholic church is suffering from defective leadership(not to mention unbiblical traditions–to say it gently and leaving out quite a lot). The old-line Catholics are dying off and those still around are losing ground. Having a Magisterium and Pontiff that aren’t even exemplifying Catholic Dogma or Doctrine does not look good for devout adherents. It’s kind of hard to speak about “papal infallibility” or any of the other Dogmas of the Catholic church when it’s hard to tell if the leaders of your own denomination believe them. This isn’t even me being a protestant, or even a Reformed Baptist, it’s just basic accountability. When a leader(s) isn’t consistent or even exuding confidence, what, if any, reason is there to tell someone, “you should believe what we are preaching/teaching.” If the current leadership believes practically nothing of even the last generation of leaders, that does not show unity, it portents disfunction at best and deception at worst.

    Reply

    • Hi Daniel, thank you so much for this thoughtful response. lots of really powerful food for thought here. You’re right, with Jesus as the founder of the church, it is impossible to die. what a comforting thought that is! That’s terrific that the church is growing abroad. truly phenomenal. And I appreciate your thoughts on the Catholic church. It is definitely experiencing a decline and sadly, I think a lot of people share in your opinion. I will just say this, the Pope is simply one man. And man he is. Not perfect, not spotless, but a man. And I know tons of priests from all over the country – many of them young – who are truly on fire for God, and it is so refreshing. Because – yes, even though human and far from perfect – I do think they have a true desire to set their parishes on fire for the Lord. And are giving their lives to do so. but enough about that 🙂 You really brought up some great points that I’m going to be thinking about as I fall asleep here. Thank you for stopping by and I hope you had a beautiful Christmas!

      Reply

  59. Reblogged this on Church Set Free and commented:
    When I clicked the reblog button there were almost 170 comments below this post. Comments can add so much to a post – a conversation, great fellowship, new sharing and new learning. Which makes it easy to invite you to join the conversation and fellowship AND new learning at BBB’s place.

    (as always comments are disabled here, thank you)

    Reply

  60. God is definitely alive, not in buildings made of stone anymore, but in the hearts of his true believers, the living stones of his New Testament Church. Jesus made religious labels irrelevant, and it was a huge wrench for me, but I had to leave my religious Church behind to grow and thrive. I found another with like minded Christians that reflected Jesus’ life and taught his word. God’s Blessings for 2017 BB.

    Reply

    • Hi there Nanny, thank you for this beautiful reflection. You’re right, He’s alive in our hearts. Living stones – I love that. I’m glad you found an outlet for your faith to thrive. Thanks, and same to you! Hope you had a beautiful Christmas! hugs xox

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  61. Yes, the pews are getting emptier. And yes, the stereotype is for the most part false except for those of us who happen to bump into it once to often. I am a priest in a new separated non-denominational church ministering to others who have been battered by the judgement of other Christians far too often to feel loved or wanted by God. It is very difficult to teach God’s love to people that have been taught that they are hell bound because of who or what they are or what others, in so called authority say about them. Mainstream Christianity is not for the faint hearted, gay, mentally ill, transsesxual, divorced and remarried, single mother, those who have had abortions, or who have been imprisoned. And any number of others I can think of, including the deaf the blind and those in wheelchairs since most churches are inaccessible. OK ranting stopped. Sorry everyone

    Reply

    • Hi brother Andrew thank you so much for this powerful insight! It’s so interesting to hear from you as an insider. Lots of great food for thought here. I hope you had a blessed Christmas and have a happy new year. And thanks again for the reblog. Hugs and love xox

      Reply

      • i was worried I had gone a step too far?
        Hi there, sometimes I forget I am a Pastor when I remember that I once felt so joyful in those pews. Then I do remember that those in our Pews were once there in mainstream, one day there should not be any need for us since the church will be truly following the Word and Spirit of Our Lord and Master, Jesus christ and new Ministries will be in place to minister to the marginalised. Yet for some of us the waiting has been just too long and even despite our strength of faith we could not remain to bang our heads against a stone.

        Hugs back – we had a quiet christmas I shall be Presiding at Eucharist in Sunday to which I look forward to and I shall think of you and your wonderful ministry.

      • Hi Br. Andrew! Aw, thank you so much. That’s kind of you to say. Yeah, the waiting can be long for sure, but we wait with joyful hope in the Lord:) i can’t tell you how much I enjoy hearing your thoughts. You have such powerful insight and I feel so blessed to hear it! Have a happy 2017! Hugs

  63. You, my friend have touched on some very important points. Major props for being so honest! I too am witnessing a falling away of sorts in the church and most of them have been young people. I think that a big problem is that many don’t know what it is to truly believe, many have no convictions about the scriptures, and many have not received the Holy Ghost. The number of real born again, spirit filled, active in ministry believers is few. That’s not something stats will tell you, it must be seen on the front lines.

    As those who know the truth, we must consciously be the light every waking second of the day. We must put off selfishness and realize that our lives are for God’s glory. The message of God’s love is too important to keep quiet about. Pual said it best in Romans 1:16…UNASHAMED.

    Keep on sharing those wonderful thoughts!

    God bless

    Reply

    • Thank you so much for this thoughtful reflection! Lots of truth here. The number of young people is definitely definitely for you. Be the light! Yes! That is what we are to do. Thanks for stopping by. Hugs!

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  64. Yes, churches are not as full as they use to be, but that should be a push for us. If we are the church then why are we bringing church to other people. There is a shift happening and it is going to require us to step outside the box and stop worrying about the attendance in church. So many things have happened in the church that people are preferring to stay away and to their own thing. The true Christians, the believers that follow Jesus will start taking the Chruch to the streets. There are so many churches out here and I feel like we are all segregated when we all have one true goal. Why aren’t we working together? Why is it so hard?

    Reply

      • You are welcome! I’ve been totally encouraged not just by the post but all the comments people are leaving as well! It’s so true that the faith is alive and well, even in America where it feels like it is declining. I think anytime a faith gets over-institutionalized, the revolution that brings it back is quiet and subtle for a long time . People start taking it seriously again in their own lives and hearts and families, and that isn’t always apparent in the news or your neighborhoods at first. Be encouraged that God is always at work, even where we don’t see it – and all those seeds he’s planting? Just looks like a field of dirt. Until it doesn’t. The bloom is on the way!

  68. Hello Carolyn, kudos to you for speaking your mind Christianity is on the rise, just look at the figures in Africa and China. The church has always been persecuted throughout history and it’s always risen above it! I understand what you’re saying and I’d like to say that many of my contemporaries think church is boring. I can’t think of a more lame excuse for them not attending church. Funny, because many of them attend work lectures and boring work meetings for their careers , some of them during their lunch breaks, I have been to some expensive Professional Development days that were sleeping material, but I still go because it pleases my employer. Mass is not meant to be entertaining. It’s not meant to make you feel all fuzzy wuzzy, if it doesn’t jolt you and make you think or reevaluate your life, then the preacher isn’t doing his job.Mass is a time to give back to God and His son Jesus Christ who died for us. Didn’t Jesus challenge his contemporaries? He ruffled many feathers.Wasn’t He rejected by many? He didn’t save everybody either. I cannot believe how people gamble with their salvation, with eternity. I have seen a shift though, in church I have seen more fellow christians from Africa, China, Vietnam and Korea convert and I’m so pleased about that. Part of the problem is also that people think they are above religion, that they are in control. “Affluenza” can give them everything they need. To think!!!!!! that the first twelve spread christianity to the world. If they can do it, so can we. God has raised you from the ashes Carolyn, you already are part of a movement, of bringing people back to the church, you just don’t know how far reaching your words can be. I’ll leave you with this quote from Pope Francis……” I prefer a church that is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather that a church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security.” God bless you <3

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    • Wow, thank you so much for this powerful reflection! So much truth in your words! Yes we have got to spread the word just like the disciples! And thank you for such kind words about my blog. It really means a lot. And I love that quote from Pope Francis. What a wise father. I’ll be out around Christmas! Hugs and love xox

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  69. I do not believe that Christianity is dead, but the world or the other guy who will not be named, has made us believe that it’s not cool to go to church any more or to say I am a Christian. I may be a Christian of a different ilk, but I am first-and-foremost a Christian. Thank you for following my blog posts. Peace and good fortune for the year to come.

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  70. And still you have far greater Church attendance in the US than we have over in Sweden! It is unfortunately standard here that only a tiny tiny minority actually attend sermons and ceremonies at Church, beyond the big personal stuff like weddings, funerals, baptisms and confirmations. And I must say, even for me as a pagan, it is sad to see. I have a personal relationship with our great old churches as well, and with God even if it does not match the regular Christian path, and seeing the general population turn away from matters of the soul is… well, sad. Here it has gone far enough to be practically noticeable – attendance is so low that the Church simply can’t afford keeping all churches open any more. In some areas they might even be sold. It makes sense on an economical level, we have a HUGE amount of churches after all and only a little minority that actually use them, but aaaaaah. It hurts to see a 13th century church, the focal point of so many generations past, stand empty. Locked if there isn’t anything specific going on, because they just can’t risk shitty bastards stealing and vandalizing that which has taken centuries to create.

    I know this isn’t exactly what you wrote about, but it is related. From a Swedish point of view you over in the US have looooots of active Christians and church goers. x) As for snotty know-it-alls and freaks (and worse, actual extremists), well all I can say (and do say to anyone bringing up the topic) is that every religion have them, wherever humans gather there will be those giving the rest a bad name. And for what it’s worth, even a heathen like me will actually stand up for the GOOD in the Christian community as well. Just as how I remain a paying member of the Swedish Church to give my support to the conservation of our great old churches that have meant so much to generations past and to our culture.

    Who knows what will happen in the future? Perhaps Christianity will grow again. Or it will shrink, or it will remain where it is. Rather than being frightened of what may or may not happen I think it more important to focus on there here and now. To be a caring and loving person, to be a force of good regardless of which religion we adhere to. And I do not think you have to worry about doing too little, your blog and the sharing of your thoughts here shouldn’t be underestimated!

    Much love
    /Fny

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    • Wow thanks Fny. I really appreciate you sharing your thoughts. And wow! Sweden! That was one of my favorite trips to visit! Such a beautiful country! Can you bring up some really powerful points. It’s sad, the state of Christianity in Europe. You’re right, it is slowly dying and the churches are being sold. How sad! But I really appreciate this perspective! I hope that you had a happy new year! Hugs all the way from USA:)

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      • It is the passing of time I suppose, and change is often painful. Holy places, be they churches or temples or sacred sites belonging to different faiths, they are more than just mere locations/buildings. They have soul, and echo with the memories of those long gone. And that should be respected even by those of differing beliefs, I’d say most firmly. But enough about that. A happy new year to you as well!

  71. True Christianity does not require that the word be spoken. When it is in the love of each act those were touched by his moving through us to touch them Will become a hungry to know how we found the strength to be who we have become, and hungry to find the same joy in life. True caring, true friendship and honest communication are the calling cards of Christian love. Don’t accept someone because they join your church, but rather because they joint hearts.

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  72. It’s funny…the church I grew up in,where my grandfather was the priest for 40 years, was packed on any given Sunday. After he retired 20 years ago, there’s been a succession of priests (on number 4 now) and attendance is about 1/5 of what it used to be.

    On the other hand, the church I go to now–where one priest just retired after 30 years, and the new one, who is very popular, has been there for 3 years–is filled to the gills every week the way other churches are on Christmas or Easter. And don’t get me started on how insanely packed it is on those holidays.

    My points are these: Perhaps it’s your individual church, and consistency and personality of clergy is key. The wrong priest, or having too much turnover, can turn a lot of people off or make it too hard to feel a connection.

    Our wonderful (/sarc) culture also doesn’t help. Many of these stereotypes are exaggerated versions of a small percentage of “church people” that people who actively hate the church stick into movies, TV shows, and so on. Ask most may people about Christianity; very few actually know the tenets.

    We have our work cut out for us, but take heart that the faith is still very much alive, though there’s work to be done. Just changing people’s perceptions may be the most important first step.

    Merry Christmas!

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    • Hi friend! Wow that’s so great to hear about your church being so full! So terrific!these are such great points. Thank you for sharing that! I think you’re right! There is work to be done but we shouldn’t lose hope. Hope you have a happy new year! Hugs

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  73. Go spread the Good News! Our Mass on Christmas Eve was packed with random people coming along because it’s “traditional”. I love this but said a little prayer that something of what they experienced would touch their hearts and bring them back next week rather than next year… it is up to us to make it compelling!!

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    • Hey Rob! Thanks for this awesome reflection. Wow, I’m glad your church was full but yeah I know how sad that feeling can be. That’s a great prayer you prayed. Yes I hope so too! Hope you have a happy new year!

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  74. THIS was a phenomenal read.

    As I was reading it, all I could think about was Mark 16:15
    He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”

    Why am I not doing that? Why do I keep my faith to myself?
    I realize now that by choosing to be a “closet Christian” I am helping NO ONE.
    I am part of the problem and that has to change. Now.

    Thank you for convicting me in a way that I desperately needed. Thank you for challenging me to step out of my comfort zone. Thank you for posting this. ❤

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    • Hi Cassie! Wow! Your beautiful note brought a tear to My eye. That is such a powerful verse from Mark. You’re right, we are supposed to go and make disciples! Definitely something I need to work on in my life as well. I’ll join you in that determination! Thanks for such encouraging words this morning. Hope you have a happy new year! Big hugs

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  75. I get your points but I also think that there is still hope. Pope Francis has changed a lot of people’s beliefs because of his kind, forgiving and generous approach on most topics. Though I do understand where you are coming from but from what I have read of your blog, you aren’t to blame for this decline! I can tell that you’re proud to be a Christian and that is have the job done and the fact that you’re such a positive role model is the other half done!! <3 This year I didn't go to the Midnight Mass but the 6pm Vigil where I sang in our little band thing and the Church was teeming with people… way more than we could fit. My problem is the opposite of your because I cannot understand why some people only come to Church on special occasions. I'd like them to be inspired and believe enough in God to come every week or at least try to. You're post really made me think and I'd just like to say thank you for that!! 🙂 <3

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  77. I want to commend you for taking a leap
    Of faith and writing this post! It takes a lot of courage to have a public conversation about faith. In your post you said you were going to go out on a limb and invite someone to church because you want to help grow the faith. I believe you’ve done so much for faith and the church in this post! Its great to see that a post about faith and Christianity can create this type of dialogue with over 170 comments and 210 likes. Keep up the great work.

    My church is in a different state than yours and the others sharing the experience of declining attendance. Our church is growing and has been for some time. For example, we had 5 Christmas Eve services and at least 4 of them were completely full. I’m blessed to be part of a growing congregation, and a resident of a city that’s on fire for Christ.

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    • Hi K! Thank you so much for sharing this. Wow, that’s so great to hear that your city is a live for Christ! That’s so terrific! And thanks for your kind words about my blog. It truly means so much. Hope you had a merry Christmas and have a happy new year. Hugs!

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  80. Dear Caralyn,

    I love, that is, I commend your wrestling with the question AND your response of what a Christian looks like and, even more, what a Christian does. I especially am moved by the evocative phrasing of the close of this post. Jesus having gone out on a limb for us bids you to consider doing the same for him in inviting others to join you in your sacramental/liturgical life in corporate worship.

    Another thought… Sometimes when I ponder the smaller attendance at what I recall were large gatherings of worshipers, especially on the high, holy feast days of Christmas and Easter, I do believe that – and thinking here only of America – there are more “nones” who claim no institutional religious affiliation and “dones” who formerly were active and now are not. The reasons for the increase of each group are both many and varied.

    Moreover, I think what I shall term “an olden image” of churchfolk of which you speak as judgmental, holier-than-thou stubbornly seems to abide in the imaginations of many. This brings me back to your principal point. How can others know of believing folk whose lives strive to reflect the unconditional benevolence of God if or when we don’t share and show that God in intention and action, thought and feeling, and speech?

    Carry on, dear Caralyn. Co-opting that language of Star Wars, which, I surmise first co-opted the gospel claim, may the Spirit be with you.

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    • Thank you so much for this powerful reflection! The none and dones… you’re right, that group is on the rise. And it’s so true: that non-flattering image of Christians has stuck around. The image of the church lady on SNL comes to mind. But you’re right, Jesus gave it all. So we can give a little. Thanks for stopping by! Hope you had a happy Christmas and haveA happy new year! Hugs

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  82. The real problem is probably the opposite: Christians have been too kind and too accomodating, have become in a state of perpetual defensiveness and worrying that we’ll offend people.

    This is really what’s caused the decline. We haven’t forcefully answered criticisms, we haven’t defended the faith, we haven’t defended our priests (who by the way badly need it), we haven’t done anything but apologize to the faith–apologism that’s always weak, on its knees, and begging for acceptance isn’t effective–or necessary.

    Christianity isn’t a tame faith. Aslan isn’t a tame lion. Stop being tame and timid.

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  83. One of the sad-but-encouraging things in the background here, Caralyn, is the fact that the churches were unusually over-packed for a while by people who were more interested in participating in worship but not in believing or living accordingly. That subtle hypocrisy has finally played itself out, and people no longer go to church because it’s “the thing to do.” So while the attendance numbers are crashing, the actual number of the faithful isn’t dropping all that much at all, and may in fact be growing when one accounts for non-white demographics 🙂

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    • Hi Fr. Brench! Oh that is so encouraging! Thank you for sharing that positive insight! It’s really interesting to hear from an insider. Lots of great food for thought to mull over. Hope you have a blessed day here! Thanks for stopping by father. I’m honored that you would take the time to read my blog.

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  85. Great blog – mind if I share this with my congregation?

    On Mon, Dec 26, 2016 at 7:00 PM, BeautyBeyondBones wrote:

    > beautybeyondbones posted: “Well folks, another Christmas is in the books! > Christmas 2K16 is officially behind us. The eggnog has been consumed. Gifts > gifted. Food coma endured. And for those brave souls who took on a real > tree this year, its pine needles are officially all over th” >

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  86. I loved this, and definitely feel some conviction. I’m trying to make a conscious effort each day to be more bold! I read today that when we openly put all of our faith and trust in God, especially in regards to doing/believing the impossible, it is not OUR reputation on the line it is God’s reputation on the line! I hope this helps you as it has me!

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  87. Yes I see the decline here in Virginia also. Yes it does fall on us as christians because we have to be the body of Christ. But I have to be careful not to condemn people or I will be in contempt of pushing them further away from Jesus. So yes I can’t set myself high above people doing that I can’t talk to them or them me. I challenged everyone on a post last week to reach out to strangers and strangers can be near to us. Thanks for pointing this decline out. Remember You are God’s special one.

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  88. Very well written and very good observations. Forgive me while I make a few of my own. As you probably remember I’m a Byzantine-Anglican (which is a very Orthodox branch of Anglo-Catholisim). What I have noticed since the present Bishop of Rome was elected by the College of Cardinals…that the Catholic Church has torn it self apart, has lost its way of the traditions and long standing doctrine. Since Francis has become Pope, I’ve noticed that in my denomination our attendance of those who identified as Roman Catholic has nearly quadurpled! Just my observations…. Also my dear friend I think we’ve lost the meaning of Christ’s ministry on earth…review this homily that I wrote a few years ago…and let it sink in. https://bishoptatro.wordpress.com/2016/10/31/true-love/

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    • Thank you so much for this perspective, Padre Tatro. I really appreciate it. Lots of great food for thought here. Yeah pope Francis is a great energizer of the faith! Can’t wait to check out your homily. Thanks for passing it along! Hugs and love xox

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  89. Hi Caralyn, Merry Christmas…have a great Christmas time and holiday with your beloved family. May much love, joy and togetherness complete us and bring us entering the new year 2017…. I hope for peace on every soil. I hope that we can do a thing or two to make others has a better living, more fulfilled physically and also the mind. This year is a bit of hard Christmas in my country.

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  90. Jesus said that the world will know we are His by our love for one another (John 13:35). That’s another way that speaks volumes about Christ. As St. Francis of Assisi said…and sometimes we’ll have to use words. 🙂
    Merry Christmas, and may your 2017 be filled with joy and much love.

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  92. Ack! You posted this yesterday and already there are 40 billion replies. Can’t read them all.

    I’m in a unique position as a Christian married to a Jewish wife. Simply put, we don’t celebrate Christmas and frankly, I don’t miss it.

    I also currently don’t go to any congregation (long story), so my faith is a very private one.

    I won’t say that Christianity is dead, but it’s not exactly being encouraged in western society either. To be fair, Judaism is facing a similar crisis where masses of Jewish young people are falling away from religious practice, assimilating into secular society.

    The problem may not be with Christianity or Judaism but with the world around us. Our popular politicians and entertainers for the most part are secular (though even Hillary Clinton still claims to be a Christian though she also supports abortion) and they’re shoving secular values down our throats every day.

    This is just another example of living in fallen world. I’ve heard that when Jesus returns, there will only be a remnant of the faithful to greet him. I believe things will get a lot worse before it will get better.

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    • Thanks for this, James. Haha yeah, it seems to have struck a nerve! Haha I appreciate you sharing your perspective. Yeah, the media is definitely pushing a counter Agenda, thats for sure! Sadly, I think you’re right. Thanks for stopping by. Hugs and love xox

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  93. Two thoughts, one on topic, the other not.

    Furthering Vic Crain’s remarks above…

    One dynamic you didn’t touch on is the tension between politics and Church, particularly extremists who are singularly focused with a disregard for much of what being truly “Christian” encompasses.

    In this election year, is it possible that mix of politics and church has contributed to the sense of alienation millennials feel toward the institution? Just a hypothesis.

    Second thought. Thank you. You have been a consistent follower and supporter of my writing and I feel so much gratitude for that. When I see the following you have built, I know how time-consuming it is to stay connected, to write, to live a life. The fact that with all you have going on, you gift my blog with mind-share is extremely gratifying.

    Stay in touch.

    Jon

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  94. The world looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks upon the heart. The times are such that those who truly come to church to show God that they really want to put Him first…those people are thinning in the ranks. They are being put to the test just like when Christ asked Peter and the apostles, “will ye also go away?” The reply was, “to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.” (John 6:67-69) In other words, yes, to the world’s eyes, Christianity is dwindling: numbers of church-goers and professing believers are decreasing. BUT! in the Lord’s eyes, among those who are left are the strong ones, the ones who remain true to Him, the ones who actually want to be His people. This time is a sifting period…to see who is really true vs those who only appear to be true…to Him! And that’s not a bad thing either. Our job is to invite those who haven’t come to Him…to come, and to encourage those who are already striving to come to Him…to stay anchored to Him. Christianity isn’t dead…it is being tested…and purified…in preparation for His coming.

    It is a time to be real, true, genuine, and anchored Christians.

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  98. Great blog, Caralyn! I will say that i really wanted to go to Midnight Mass myself, but i found that i ended up emotionally comforting one of my cousins who has had a rough life (to say the least). However, i did go to 8am Low Mass and i was surprised at how small the congregation was. The excuse i gave myself is that since midnight was a High Mass, the sacrifice of the Mass probably did not end until near 2am. There was little chance of people going home, sleeping for a couple of hours, getting up, and doing it all over again. As far as your fears of Christianity being dead, i would take comfort in Matthew Chapter 16 verse 18 where Jesus says to Peter, “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” Know that our faith will save us and Holy Mother Church will never fall. 🙂 Have a blessed Christmas season and a happy New Year! <3

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    • Thank you so much for this, David! That definitely is a comforting verse. Thanks for sharing. I’m sorry you couldn’t go at midnight. I hope your cousin is doing okay. Happy new year! Hugs and love xox

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  99. How can a child, who is helpless and totally dependent, be the Messiah?

    None of what happened that day in that stable, among the animals, was grand. God the Father gave his Son a completely humble birth and an almost regular childhood.

    “And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him” (Luke 2:40).

    And, against all kinds of opposition, this tiny baby will be the one to save our lives and someday rule the world. It doesn’t make much sense to us.

    A baby? But that is because we are so limited in our understanding of the ways of God.

    Still, do not miss this vitally important lesson: The God of the universe is content to use the weak things of the world to confound the strong. And this truth should give us comfort. If he can use a baby to change the world, he can certainly use us.

    Father, your kingdom ways appear to be upside down to me, but I am beginning to see that it is my vision that is distorted. The mystery of the unique incarnation of Your Grace — the God becoming flesh in order to become one of us. The profound lengths to which You went in order to save us all from Evil amazes me. As I read the story of Christmas, I am always struck by all that you put into place. Only You could have conceived of it. Having made the world, you sent your Son into the world, knowing that He would be betrayed, rejected and crucified by the people He came to save. And yet you did it — to save me. I praise your name and thank you for your awesome gift.

    As we move away from the Christmas Season and resume our “daily activities”… Let us not forget the “Miracle” of Christmas… Let us hold it in our heart throughout the year.

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  102. You do a marvelous job testifying to your faith in your blog. And you are genuine in how you do it. That’s the important thing; not just stating what you believe but showing what it is like to embody being a disciple of Christ in the struggles of daily life. Numerically, Christianity may be shrinking some in Europe and North America, but it is growing tremendously in Africa and Asia. God will not be without his witnesses.

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  103. Just as in any faction that is either misunderstood, misrepresented, or under-represented, Christianity is certainly teetering on an unhealthy precipice in the minds of the masses. There are too many zealots and not enough “witnesses” people don’t want a brochure shoved at them; they want to be part of something bigger. Unfortunately, too much skepticism and mistrust can be a cancer to any religious group, Christianity included. Very appropriate and necessary discussion. Well done

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    • Thanks so much for this, Rob. You’re right, there are a lot of misconceptions. But at the end of the day, we need to be His hand and feet and LOVE. Everyone. That will change hearts:) glad you stopped by! Hugs and love xox

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  106. Great article and very timely. As a pastor I can tell you that there was a great deal of preparation leading up to our Candlelight Service, but I noticed that attendance at our Christmas Eve service was down this year as well. Conversely, I have seen more Christmas lights up this year than I have in past years and have had many more people wish me a “Merry Christmas” as opposed to a “Happy Holiday.”

    One of the problems I have observed with the Western church culture, especially here in the States, is that we are stuck in time. If I had to guess I’d say somewhere before 1940. Things were good then, and the church was the center of community life. If the church said it, people believed it because they felt that they could trust the church with the truth. And so, we killed our evangelism programs and resorted to sending money to missionaries to carry out the “Great Commission” on our behalf, because everyone came to church. We no longer felt the need to go to them.

    Then, WWII happened and everything changed. Hitler claimed to have the truth, Joseph Stalin claimed to have the truth, and tens of millions of people died at their hand. So, what makes the “Truth” that the church is talking about any different? Now, people no longer wanted to hear the truth, they wanted to see the truth; to experience it. The church, however, balked at this and dug in. Now, instead of being an agent of change in the community, the church became entrenched, unmoving and out of touch with their communities because were no longer streaming into church, in fact, they started leaving.

    The message hasn’t changed, but how we present it to people must. When Peter stood before the masses at Pentecost, he didn’t demand that everyone speak Hebrew. Everyone heard the message in their own language, in a way that they could understand it and accept it. I’d like to believe that Mrs. Cleaver is still making cookies that won’t make you fat in her perfectly pressed dress, polished heels and pearls, but we don’t live there anymore. We need to be open about our faith, stop making excuses for people’s bad behavior and live out the love of Jesus, not just talk about it.

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    • Thanks so much Joshua. I really appreciate you sharing this thoughtful response. So much powerful food for thought here. You’re right, there is definitely a stuck in time Feeling. Amen – let’s live out the love of Jesus! So glad you stopped by! I’m honored that you would read my words! Hugs and love xox

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    • Joshua, I happened to read this in passing. I’m not argumentative in the least, but I do like to make comments and hear other people’s viewpoints. You said the message hasn’t changed. Back in the 1930’s the church still thought of itself as being victorious saints. Today churches say that they are hospitals full of sick people. In the 1930’s people considered it necessary to keep the ten commandments and the Sermon on the Mount. Today, it seems all churches say that all your sins past, present, and future are forgiven and you need to do NOTHING to go to heaven. In my opinion the big change really began in 1948 when Israel became a nation. The time of the Gentiles is over. Jewish time began to tick . The Christian churches just keep spiralling downward further and further away from obeying the commands of Jesus. That’s just my opinion. God bless.

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      • For whatever reason, I just saw this comment! I apologize for not responding sooner. Thank you for taking the time to read it and to respond. I agree that our perception of who we are and how we respond has changed over the years, but the message hasn’t. “Be holy” still means the same thing today, whether we want it to or not. I also agree that many have chosen to be liked instead of being leaders. The church, specifically in the Western world, has chosen to water down the message in an attempt to appease the people and make it seem more attractive. In truth, to live a Biblical life is hard. It takes sacrifice and suffering. It takes surrender and devotion. Thanks again for your comment!

  107. The problem isn’t necessarily the people, and if it is, it’s not on purpose; the problem is what the authority structure of the church has twisted the Scriptures into in order to make church a set of instructions, rules, and expectations of behaviors. One of my churches, for example, wrote in it’s constitution that families were the building block of society, families were ordained by God to be one husband and one wife, with the husband having authority over his wife. What they failed to realize was that the rules of the church privileged families at the expense of it’s singles, marginalizing them for not living up to the expectation that they be married and that their families be structured accordingly to their teachings. In most of my churches the people were alright, mostly. It was the rules and micro-managing nature of the leaders that caused me to question: “Does the Bible (or Lord or God, they seem to be interchangeable) really say?”

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    • Hi Jamie, I appreciate you sharing your thoughts and experiences. I understand where you’re coming from – the beauty of Christ is the freedom that we have in Him. It is discouraging to not feel as though you’re living up to a standard of perfection. Because at the end of the day, only Jesus was perfect. And in fact, he chose to hang out with people who were far from it. Thanks for the food for thought. Big hugs xox

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  109. Thank you, beauty… for your honesty. We all need to examine ourselves and ask: if people around me are being convicted for being Christians, would they find anything in me to convict me? If I am beaten and thrown prison for preaching, as led by the Holy Spirit, would I be bold pray and sing loudly at mid-night? Would I be able to preach fervently like Stephen, even when stones are raining down on me?
    We are God’s ambassadors, His voice, His hands and feet and as we let Him He will use us to reconcile others to Himself. we cannot do it in our own strength and that is why we need the power of the Spirit to guide us each step of the way.

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  110. Jesus once told the Pharisees that if his disciples were silent, the stones would cry out for them. The very power of the Holy Spirit pushes us to proclaim Christ. Each time I’ve been mocked or treated with hate because of my faith, I wear it as a badge of honor for Christ. It’s natural to be afraid, and most view church as the building in which we gather, but it’s not. We, as followers of Christ, are the Church. “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I also” is what Jesus said. When you gathered with your family this year to celebrate Christmas, you were the Church. Whenever you gather with people outside of the building, you are the Church. Church is not just a Sunday thing to worship God, my pastor once told me that following Jesus is not one day a week, but it’s 24/7 worship. People call us Jesus Freaks, but you know what? We are. We are the only Bible these people will ever see and we need to not be afraid. You don’t need to invite someone to church, but rather you can be the church right over a cup of coffee 🙂 Be very courageous it says in Joshua, for our God is with us.

    Props to you for recognizing this and recentering our focus on this Caralyn!!! Prayers and hugs to you and hope you have a great New Years!

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    • Thank you so much for this thought provoking response. Yeah that is so true. We often are the only encounter with the gospel that people will have. And you’re right, we are the living breathing church. Such a powerful thought. Thanks for stopping by. Big hugs xox

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  111. This hits home and my other home (Norway). My parents left the Catholic church due to reasons that I am not completely sure of and it left me rather flabergasted and confused. They were the most devout I knew. The shift in faith today is scary. It has left me with the question WHAT AM I and WHERE DO I FIT? I must not be the only millennial thinking these things.

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    • Hi Pikku! Wow, Norway! That’s awesome. I’m sorry to hear that you’re grappling with those questions. You are definitely not alone. I think everyone has to figure that out for themselves at some point. But I have faith that you will:) I think at the end of the day we have to look deep within and ask ourselves what we value and believe and what we stand for. And honestly, that is something that no other person can decide that for us. Sending massive hugs to you. Xox

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  112. You are right to see that Christianity is dying. It has been in steady decline since 1948 when Israel became a nation. The time of the Gentiles is over and the time of the Jews is now once again here. Soon the two witnesses of the Book of Revelation will appear at the wailing wall in Jerusalem, and the tribulation period will begin. The end of the world is upon us. Grim but true. You are also correct that you are to obey Jesus by proclaiming his Gospel. The entire Christian church is terminally ill, and the world is in even worse shape. The world as we know it will soon come to and end, and it will then be as it is described in the Book of Revelation. You chose a very sobering topic for your post. God Bless!

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    • Thank you for this reflection. I really appreciate you sharing this perspective. Yes, we are to go and make disciples and preach the gospel. that’s the commandment straight from the Son! Thanks for stopping by! big hugs xox

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  114. Christ is not dead, so therefore his church is not. But now as back in the days of Apostles we are His “remnant” people. Saved by Grace doesn’t mean much to folk who don’t believe they need saving in the first place.
    Best wishes for the New Year.

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    • Thank you so much for this beautiful reflection. You’re right – He is alive! And as we celebrate His birth, I can’t help but think about His death and resurrection. That is alive. That is hope. That is what we can place our trust in. Thanks for stopping by! Hugs and love xox

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  116. I love this you’re so right.. we have to show others Christ is not only living on the inside of us but outside too.. I too am guilty of not witnessing the way I should for Jesus and I to need to invite someone to church with me as well.. be blessed my sister in Christ..

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  117. It’s hard to know what to do. I have seen these trends and wondered what to do. I used to say church was boring, but now I consider it a vital part of my life and well-being. And the thing is, I don’t want the church to modernize anymore. One church that’s popular here is Newspring, which is non-denominational and non-traditional. Services include skits, videos, popcorn, and gourmet coffee. I went to one service and came out thinking, I don’t want church to be a movie or a rock concert. I like those too, but I want church to be church. Which I guess means what people think is boring. I don’t know what we can do other than keep writing and try to help people see the value that we do.

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    • Thanks for this response, David. That’s so awesome that you recognize the importance of church in your life. I actually listen to New Spring’s podcast every week! Haha small world. But I’m with you – I love the worship we have at church. It is beaujtful and powerful and not boring at all when you recognize the miracle of it 🙂 so glad you stopped by! Big hugs xox

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  118. What we are seeing can best be described of as Age of Enlightenment II, where the intelligentsia (K-12, universities) actively teach against religion. Just as in the first AoE the “educated” drop their involvement in church in order to “fit in”, and the church is sustained by the “uneducated”. This go-round is worse than the first, as most of the children are encouraged to continue on to university as opposed to the manual labor fields, plus the majority of K-12 students now attend government run schools, where any form of religious activity or thinking by students is strictly verboten.

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    • Thanks so much for this powerful food for thought. I appreciate you sharing it! Yeah, there definitely has been an abandonment of religion in public school curriculum. I wish that weren’t the case! Thanks for stopping by. Hugs and love xox

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  119. Nice post! It is my opinion, and please forgive my pedantic ways, that we are just in a period of transition. If we define a religion as a formula of rites, rituals, mores and norms designed to build and maintain a community, then I think our modern society has changed too much for all of the old rituals to still have the same value. Consider that what we know and are familiar with as comforting religious ritual all came from a time when the population was much smaller, families stayed in the same town, there was no technology and most everyone was a farmer. Or, from another perspective, four hundred years ago it was common for Sunday mass to last the whole day. What would those people think of the hour long services which are the norm today?

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    • Thanks so much Craig for your reflection and perspective. Yeah. Church today is definitely a horse of a different color! Haha Yoire right, there is definitely s transition occurring. I just hope that we can harness the transition for positive change. Thanks for stopping by and sharing this great food for thought. Hugs and love xox

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  120. Caralyn:
    Dearest sister, I wish that I could successfully communicate the foundations for my conviction. I have never asked the leader of any institution for anything except the opportunity to teach others. I have been rebuffed.
    As Socrates testified, the Mysteries are closed unless the listener opens their heart to the teacher.
    The Church served the purpose of keeping alive the memory of Jesus. Even holy communion is commanded with the words “Do this in memory of me.”
    What happens when the time for remembrance is past? Will the institutions adapt, or will they hold on to the rituals that have been proven to bring comfort to those that must settle for mystery?
    Awash in the love that heals all wounds, why would we settle for that?
    In other words, if the world is to be healed, the Church must either bend to Christ, or lose the authority of Christ’s commission. When that authority is lost, the spirit that joins His flock to the institution is sundered, and people will no longer experience Christ in the rituals.
    Brian

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    • Thanks for this reflection, Brian. A lot of powerful food for thought here. You’re right, we’ve got to keep Christ alive in whatever way possible. We’ve got to figure out a way to adapt to reach people, while still respecting and keeping alive the beautiful and steadfast traditions. It’s a tricky solution, but one I believe we can achieve. Thanks for stopping by. Hugs and love xox

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  124. I started reading this yesterday, and then just now finished. I wanted to see where this ended. You have many salient points. I belong to a mainline protestant denomination that has seen 40 yrs of membership decline in USA, but growing in places like Africa. We have forgotten our first love, Jesus. In some cases, we have been only lukewarm. Only when we grip the reality that people are in danger of eternity in Hell, will we live and love out the gospel as the Body of Christ. I too am part of the problem, with an inhibited faith. If I love people, I will be bold. Thank you for your post.

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    • Thanks so much! I appreciate you taking the time to read and respond. You’re right – we’ve got to bust out of the lukewarm ways. Thanks for the food for thought. Hugs and love xox

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  125. Wow, that was a great read! Thank you for your honesty and candor when it comes to your faith and your life. Our local church that we attend has maybe 45 people attending on Sunday mornings. We just put on a children’s Christmas play and packed the pews for both the Saturday night and the Sunday morning performances. It struck many of us that we all wished that many would attend a regular service. In the summer it is even worse as people go on vacation. Sadly I think part of the problem at our church is the congregation is predominantly elderly people. The worship music they prefer is of the hymn variety. It is not exactly music that would attract a younger congregation. I am not saying we should abandon things that the current congregation likes but I am saying I wish we could mix it up a little with some more contemporary music. We need more energy in the church and a compromise could make that happen. 🙂

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  127. Great piece! Very well thought-out, and frankly, spot-on.

    Honestly, we gave up going to church once we had kids. It was the final “straw” so-to-speak as we had been having a hard time with the church’s politics for awhile.

    Why was this the final straw? Because we didn’t want to be “that” family. The ones that couldn’t control their kids in church, the ones that everyone gave a dirty look when they talk too loud or wouldn’t behave.

    Now that I have children of my own, I know that controlling a two-year-old with a mind and will of her own is like trying to contain a fart in a wind storm. Not happening.

    Not sure I want it to, either. She needs to learn, explore, and develop independence. Mindless obedience may make “good” children, but it makes for crummy citizens.

    It’s almost like we need a separate service for everyone with kids. make the service a little shorter, a little more upbeat, and an occasional reference to My Little Ponies or Octonauts wouldn’t hurt. May not be what church is “supposed” to be about, but my kids could relate, would pay attention, and would want to talk about it afterward.

    Could you even imagine a sermon where they talked about how each My Little Pony relates to one of Jesus’s teachings?

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    • Thanks Elizabeth. Glad you enjoyed it. Oh my gosh ” a fart in a wind storm” I laughed out loud at that. I totally get where you’re coming from. Haha a my little pony sermon – I mean, I bet it could be done! But you’re right. Actually, at some churches I’ve been to, they dismiss the kids to “kids church” during the sermon where they have an age appropriate message. But those churches are few where I’ve seen that happen. Anywho, thanks for stopping by and for sharing your story. Big hugs xox

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  128. Thank you for sharing your faith. People need God. Pray that the Holy Spirit will work through you.

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  129. Your post title caught me eye – I often wonder the same thing. In order to be PC (Politically Correct) Christianity has little by little been pushed out of mainstream and acceptance – the “mass dulling” of Christianity. Where is comes from is quite hard to point fingers at… yet we all have very busy “noisy” lives where we find it hard to prioritize things.

    Happy Holidays – instead of Merry Christmas… don’t want to leave others out… (although by wishing to this to someone you aren’t in fact saying theirs is not important). Happy Holidays does not in fact acknowledge other’s traditions either.

    Pledge of Allegiance out of school – because one Nation “under God”, implies ??? Someone created the idea that it too alienates other religions… yet that choice of words.

    “The Bible Beater” Reputation – that being Christian means all others are wrong. Going to Hell is pretty scary and who wants to be fear mongered into believing something? Christian or not?

    Church Clergy Reputations – even if it hasn’t been recent, everyone can recall a story where there was some wrong doing by a church clergy and therefor may have a bad taste in their mouth.

    Even at Christmas Meals – I notice people don’t “know” if they are supposed to pray anymore.

    The list continues… the stories about the great things the Church is doing – is often missed. The services, the support… often go unnoticed until people need the services…

    I go to Vineyard Church of Columbus. My pastor Rich Nathan is constantly addressing how to represent Christianity. He constantly arms us with the way to talk and engage in conversations with other Christians and non-Christians. His leadership style is very educational and engaging. He doesn’t ask anything he’s not giving! His leadership style is something to emulate for sure! I think more leadership like this is necessary for Christianity to live more vibrantly in our society!

    I recently asked a friend to come with me after the election… she was feeling very lost and scared. She hadn’t been in over 10+ years. She even stood up and received prayer!!! It’s not everyday you can get someone new, or even have the conversation about your church or maybe answer questions about faith. I find It rarely comes up unless people are feeling upset, or desperate.

    All I do is to extend the invitation when I can, volunteer when I can, and when he calls me to do something… I listen!

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    • Hi Anji, thank you so much for this reflection. Really great food for thought here. Sounds like Rich is a powerful leader! And how terrific about your friend. That’s so awesome. Sounds like you’re doing the right thing! So glad you stopped by! Big hugs xox

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  131. I was born and brought up Catholic. If anything is guaranteed to draw someone to Agnosticism it is 14 years of religious indoctrination and propaganda. The thing about religion is that it relies upon adherents believing despite a total lack of evidence. If anyone can provide me with solid, irrefutable evidence of the existence of ANY deity – the Judeo-Christian God, Zeus, Krisha to name a few, I’ll convert on the spot. To quote the motto of The Invisible University – “Accept nothing from words alone”. I don’t believe in string theory either, for exactly the same reason.

    I think another major problem is that mainstream religion in the U.S. is associated by and large with hate. Only ‘religious’ types murder doctors because they believe in the right to life (irony detector registering 11). Religions are overwhelmingly hateful towards our LGBTQ friends, and believe in the oppression of women whom they consider too weak and stupid to exercise control over their own bodies.

    Christian leaders in this country don’t see the disconnect in demanding religion be the basis of daily life of everyone, regardless of individual values and the law, and their inherent patriarchy whilst demanding control over women’s bodies and the application of their beliefs to the law, science and school life. Take any statement by Muslim extremists and replace the words Koran and Allah with Bible and God and I defy you not to say it sounds like Pat Robertson.

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    • Hi there NW. Thank you for sharing this perspective. I’m sorry that you’ve had a negative experience with the church. And I hope that you keep exploring. Because one of the cool things about science is that it works hand in hand with God. You’re right, there are a lot of areas for improvement in organized religion, but there are also terrific positive aspects of it- namely community, a sense of belonging, social activity, being with people who share your beliefs, dependence upon one another, accountability. Anywho-just wanted to offer that little tidbit of food for thought. Thank you for stopping by and i really appreciate you sharing your heart. Big hugs xox

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      • Hi, BBB. I agree. I get the same things from being a football fan that you get from church. Indeed, I wrote a reflection piece on just that subject a couple of years ago. Indulge me:
        Tell a story of “Religion” and then “Faith”

        I’m ever thankful for the inverted commas, otherwise I would be in big trouble. I would argue with the assertion that religion is about being gripped by story. For me, religion, in the strict sense meant anything but. As someone who spent 13 years in Catholic schools, religion meant having the Bible read AT (not to) us, being told what it meant, and what to believe about it. Questioning was always seen as weakness, not as a desire for greater understanding or clarification. Understanding is the enemy of faith, as are reason, logic and truth.
        As far as any story of “religion” goes, growing up in Liverpool, the one religion that transcends all barriers is football. In a famous 1960s interview, Liverpool FC manager Bill Shankly was asked “Some people say that on Merseyside, football is a matter of life and death. Would you agree?”
        To which he replied “Oh no, oh no. It’s much more important than that”.
        All I can say, is that even at a very early age, I knew that Liverpool would be the team I would support. Football in general, and Liverpool in particular are a religion. The fans singing their way through a game, standing on the terraces of the home supporters’ end of the ground were known as “The Kop Choir”. Loyalty is fierce, tenets taken as unshakable truth and never questioned. “Of course we’ll win” “Dalglish is the greatest player of all time” “Champions again this year”
        Every religion has its’ symbolism. For me, it was always the club badge, the mythical “Liver Bird”, a sprig of greenery in its beak on a red background, the sight of the stadium, Anfield. Every team has its’ songs, chants – most of which are unrepeatable, and it’s panoply of Gods and saints. I could rattle off names – Dalglish, Hunt, Yeats, Rush, Paisley, Shankly. The list is almost endless.
        Every religion also has its’ pilgrimage and rites of passage – treks to Wembley Stadium in London for cup finals or ever further afield – Rome, Paris, Sophia, Munich. Anyone who has been on one of these trips can captivate other followers with stories of mishaps, moments of great humour, tension or joy. Like the medieval peasant who walks to Santiago de Compostela and returns home with stories of things seen and done that those who stayed at home will never experience. One of the most powerful phrases in the English language is “I was there”. The “Miracle of Istanbul” means as much to a Liverpool fan as a Canaanite wedding guest seeing water turned to wine. It can stir strong passions, too. I have seen grown men cry as a result of a defeat, and been hugged like a long lost brother by total strangers because of a win.
        Religion provides certainty in an uncertain world. Knowing that there is a game on Saturday can make the hardships and every petty meanness of the week seem bearable. Knowing that a win is certain (no one ever expects to lose) means you know exactly where you will be at a certain time on a certain day. Muslims believe that there are 3 things a man can never know – the source of his next meal, the circumstances of his death and the true name of God. But knowing for certain that you will be at the game on Saturday, surrounded by friends, even if you don’t know them, that you will be part of an exclusive community, all with one thought, one purpose, and one joy can be enough.
        All religions have tests of faith. I grew up during Liverpool’s heyday, from the mid-1970s until the late 80s. Shankly had, to quote him, turned Anfield into “A bastion of invincibility” and the players into a team so good “They would have to send a team from Mars to beat them”. Nothing was impossible, Liverpool became the most successful team in English history, unstoppable, majestic, and unequalled. To quote Bob Paisley, who followed Shankly as manager “Aye, we’ve had our bad times. One year we finished second”. As I have said elsewhere, without bad times, there are no good times, only times. For the last 20 years, diehard reds have been wandering in the wilderness, worshipping false idols and losing their sense of purpose. I have to admit, I have had my own doubts from time to time, but I have never doubted our return to greatness. “Keeping the faith” is all we have sometimes. The prophet will appear and lead us to the Promised Land, a miracle will occur and vanquish our enemies, the “Chosen one” will arise in our darkest hour.
        I know this all sounds a bit over the top, but in reality, football is a religion. The person of faith, singing or chanting , wearing distinctive clothing, beads, shawl, skull cap or turban, eating specific foods, taking some things as absolute truth, moving among those most like him/herself isn’t really all that different from the football fan clad in team colours, scarf around neck chanting the “Holy names” of those he/she “worships” singing songs as a form of reinforcing identity and membership of the group or eating and drinking almost as a ritual, an integral part of the experience. English football clubs even have nicknames with religious connotations – “Saints” “Synners”, “Quakers” “Cardinals” “Choirboys” “Pilgrims” “Shakers” and “Red Devils” dwell amongst their ranks.
        If this is not what the assignment was intended to do, I apologize. To me, a religion is a lens through which we see the world, which helps us create order and structure, gives us a sense of our place in the world, an identity, a way to connect with others, common ground with strangers and reinforcement if we ever have doubts. Football provides this for me. I don’t know what I would do without it.

  133. Hollywood would have us believe Christianity is dead, but it’s not. Jesus is more real than the blood that runs through my veins, and the Holy Spirit blows my mind with the way She brings love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control into my life. If Christianity is dead than I’m the Pope.

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  135. Thank you for boldly sharing your concerns. I’m not Christian, or religious, but I try to hold respect for all religious viewpoints. To speak from the root of it, I do think one of the main reasons for the decline in followers is that our society is pushing for more materialistic virtues. We are so obsessed with our money, our technology, our cars, celebrity figures, etc.—it overshadows the authenticity that comes with the connection of faith. This is not to say that all people who are atheists are gluttonous or materialistic, of course. We just have more distractions than we did even ten, or twenty, years ago.

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    • Thanks for this reflection. That’s s great great insight about our those other obsessions overshadowing the need and presence of faith. That’s so true. It is a different world out there. So glad you stopped by. Big hugs xox

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  137. Very very well said. Sometimes it is hard to wear our faith out in public and I can only imagine how much harder it has to be for someone like yourself who lives in a big city. I know I’ve told you once before but it still hold true, God has your back and always will for you are a warrior and always will be. I for one thank you for all that you do to bring others to the light of Christ. God bless 🙂

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  139. I just finished my final edit of my post that was almost touching on this same vein, albeit from a “doubter” (i.e. atheist/agnostic/heathen haha) trying to have a little more faith.

    I found a church that is so unchurchy and the people there are overflowing with the message of Christ that it is almost infectious and they are so excited I am beginning a relationship with God and they are helping me find answers instead of posing more questions of making me feel excluded.

    I appreciated your sentiment and want to say Christianity is dead but the conventional format of the church may be dying in a sense, though in my post I touch on the notion that what we view as “the right way to church” maybe was never the intention, and a global community that is more inclusive than exclusive when possible was by and large what we are to aim for! (Did I just say we? It came so naturally!)

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    • Thanks so much for this reflection. That’s so awesome that you’ve found a great church! Sounds truly wonderful. Yes. Let’s be a global, inclusive community! Such a beautiful thought. Glad you stopped by! Hugs and love xox

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  141. „Is Christianity dead?“

    Yes. But the resurrection will follow. The good thing about it: when the mass loses interest, the true believers remain. Be the salt of the earth. “Oh yeah, keep your head up, keep your heart strong / No, no, no, no, keep your mind set, keep your hair long / Oh my, my darlin’, keep your head up, keep your heart strong”

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  142. We need a new mindset … 🙂 „Is God anti-fun? Are the scriptures anti-pleasure? What about all those rules? Author, speaker, and Christian Mystic John Crowder joins Kester and James to talk about his new book “MONEY. SEX. BEER. GOD. – DITCHING RELIGION FOR THE JOY OF INCARNATION.“

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  143. Very well said… we have been given the ministry of reconciliation and yes like you rightly said we as Christians are the face of the Church…

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  144. Try living in Canada where the majority is either agnostic or atheist 🙁 Where you are not allowed to say Merry Christmas to a colleague for it is politically incorrect, where expression of other faiths are encouraged, but Christianity is discouraged & put down at an alarming rate. Partially because of the “church types” who judge and shun anyone outside of the faith or isn’t practicing the faith to a T. I didn’t belong to a church for many years because of this, but I found a Catholic Church where I was welcomed & encouraged & not judged – where Christ’s teachings were actually put into practice. I became Catholic in 2010 at the Easter Vigil. I suspect there are a lot of people out there like me who want to believe & practice, but feel shunned and judged, which is what keeps them on the outside of the Church doors. Excellent blog & I pray this reaches many others to be more aware of how we are called to be Saints and show Christ’s love, not self righteous and sanctimonious- LOVE x

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    • Hi there! Thank you so much for sharing this perspective. You’re right – I have a lot to be grateful for. That’s awesome that you found that welcoming outlet for your faith! Wow! The Easter Vigil. That is such a beautiful mass. Congratulations:) and yes – we are called to love and be inviting! Amen to that! Thanks for sharing this beautiful reflection. Hugs and love xox

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  145. I think Christianity in America (or the world) is not declining at all. Rather, I think it is going through a refining period. For years you guys have had large social and capital gain in claiming Christianity as your religion. Nowadays, there seems to be less social gain in professing any faith. And so we are observing a huge decline in nominal, fence-sitting Christians that perhaps had jumped on board for wrong motives.

    Great post though 🙂 We are the church. And what a responsibility, yet huge privilege we have ahead of us!

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    • Thanks Jonathan, for this reflection. Very interesting food for thought. You’re right, being non-religious is definitely the social norm, at least what pop/celebrity culture and the mainstream media dictates. But you’re right, we are the church and have a responsibility! Big hugs xox

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  151. Well said!
    Our church was almost full on Christmas day, and those that were there were full of joy and hope. We are fortunate to be involved with a church that reaches out in the community. Works with schools and law enforcement and after 70+ years in the area is still going strong.
    The Spirit draws people, but each of us has a light that can draw as well. If we hide it or it is barely flickering, folks will walk right on by. You are a light! Keep shining!

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      • I have nothing but respect for your faith and your desire to share the love of God with a messed up world. I have believed what you believe. And I still call myself a Christian of-a-sort, though not having anything like the singular certainty I once had … and sometimes leaning toward agnostic. There is much that is beautiful and uplifting about the teachings of Christ. And the same is true for many other religious faiths, there is considerable overlap. The big question becomes (for me anyway) this: is your faith (or mine, or Cindy’s or Kabir’s) THE TRUTH or does it, rather, POINT to spiritual truth? You see, as soon as Christians say, “What I’ve got here is the one truth for all humanity and there is no other,” we have just condemned the vast majority of people on Earth to eternity in hell. That’s a tough one to swallow. Is that really “God’s wonderful plan?” Is that really how “perfect love” operates? I mean no disrespect. These are hard questions. Ones I began asking myself long ago. Loving people. Serving people. Lifting up hurting people. THIS is the work of healthy faith, the work of God. When Jesus says (of the people who are busy murdering him), “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do,” THIS is the God of all mercy and all compassion. If he can forgive his killers, who is beyond his forgiveness? I know the Bible verses well enough. But what does your heart tell you? When all those millions of Jews were annihilated in Hitler’s holocaust, did they really wake up in hell after their hearts stopped beating because they “didn’t accept Jesus as their Savior?” Man, that does not seem like love or justice. This is the central problem with Christianity: perfect love and eternal punishment don’t seem like they can issue forth from the same source. “Does a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?” (James 3: 11). Blessings to you, my friend. And a Happy New Year!

      • Hi Jim, thank you so much for this reflection and sharing this perspective. You’re right – those are really freaking difficult questions to answer. And there are so many different ways our hearts are pulled when answering that question. Especially when you do think about all those things you mentioned. What I keep coming back to though, is when Jesus says in the Bible, ” I am the way, the Truth, and the life. No one comes to the Gather except through me.” And to me, that seems pretty cut and dry. But I don’t know, I am a mere mortal. And I will never truly know until I meet my maker. I really appreciate you stopping by and for offering this powerful food for thought. Big hugs xox

    • Sadly I have wondered the same thing. God is not dead; He is there waiting for us to come to Him. He never leaves us, we may leave Him, and I am guilty of that at different times in my life, but when I wise up and turn to Him, He is waiting with outstretched arms. His love never ceases to amaze me.

      My pastor did a wonderful series of sermons about growing up as a Christian and learning to go out and make disciples. It was great. He wrote a book on it that is really good. I won’t list it here because I don’t want to be an advertiser, but I will do it for the sake of spreading God’s word. Here is the link to the book on amazon if anyone would like to see it..

      https://www.amazon.com/Growing-Up-Disciple-Makes-Disciples/dp/1462729983/ref=s9_simh_gw_g14_i1_r?_encoding=UTF8&fpl=fresh&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=&pf_rd_r=SEM6X9838VB9ZNXXW99H&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=a6aaf593-1ba4-4f4e-bdcc-0febe090b8ed&pf_rd_i=desktop

      (Sorry, i can’t get it to copy as a link. still trying to convert from pc to mac user lol)

      It is up to us to make new disciples and spread the Word. Don’t hide your faith, let it shine! I will stand with you = )

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      • Thanks for this thoughtful reflection, Alice. You’re right…He isn’t going anywhere. 🙂 sounds like an awesome sermon series. Will def check out that book! Hugs and love xox

  152. Religion is a lie, sold to us to keep us a controlled people and take our money. I used to believe, but when you do the research, its there in plain black and white. Christianity/Catholicism was a direct rip off of paganism, Egyptians and Isis, Greek and Dionysus. All stated the same things…12 apostles, horoscopes, 3wise men/women, commandments, a resurrection, a virgin birth, a Judas figure except Christianity bastardised it. It was SUN worship not SON worship. At a certain time in the sky (solstace/equinox), the sun appears at its lowest on the horizon. It appears to stop for 3 days. THIS phenomenon was revered as the resurrection of the sun. Watch Zeitgeist video on religion. It explains how modern day religion is a farce and all in the name of money. Makes me sick. I summarise it here at http://www.storiesupnorth.wordpess.com/original

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  153. Loved what you shared! I’m sure that I am echoing what others have already said in response to your blog, but I try to remind myself that I am not here to please the world. We were made for God and are to love Him with all our hearts, minds, and souls. We are also to make disciples, which can be hard in this climate. I have to remind myself that in the process I may be labeled as judgmental or weird, or even be persecuted (Matt. 10:22; 2 Tim. 3:12), but I will be doing my Father’s will. Great post 🙂

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  154. “Because at the end of the day, if Jesus can stretch out His arms and die on a limb for me, I can go out on one, for Him.” – So good! Jesus didn’t buy us to hide us. We ARE the church. We are lights of the world. We were made to reflect Him. There is no shame in the gospel. There is no shame in loving Jesus – He is our hope; our life. Our identity and purpose is in direct proportion to our relationship with God. Religion turns people off, but truth – a real relationship being lived out for all the world to see can change lives. You are a hope-giver; a world-changer. Keep pressing in and seeking God and watch how He will use you for His glory. *hugs*

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  155. Hey Girl! I know all too well the troubles of Christianity and the sesaw of it all. I can remember when going to church was fun and a bit forceful since my dad was a preacher. Im not saying I’m not religious but more spiritual. The reason why I don’t like going is because my question about the human life and how it can get better isn’t answered. Still looking for my home church though. Great post and I think this was the best in 2016! Here’s my question, as Christians, how can we make it better?

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  157. Hello,

    Yes, it is very noticeable that we are in a time of change in the church. I was just thinking about this today. My dad meant well, but really was super-churchy at times. It was a turn off and I didn’t want to be churchy. I didn’t want to deny Christ either. I think what helps is that we, like you said, draw closer to the Lord and live it. He uses the gifts we have, some more quieter than others, but He uses even a cup of cold water in Jesus name.

    I pray the Lord will open doors for you and give you the boldness to share who He is. (We have the toughest places to be the East and West coast)

    Happy New Year,

    Gary

    On Mon, Dec 26, 2016 at 4:01 PM, BeautyBeyondBones wrote:

    > beautybeyondbones posted: “Well folks, another Christmas is in the books! > Christmas 2K16 is officially behind us. The eggnog has been consumed. Gifts > gifted. Food coma endured. And for those brave souls who took on a real > tree this year, its pine needles are officially all over th” >

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  158. The mere fact that there are small numbers, and that some may be falling away does not in any sense constitute the death of Christianity. As long as one Christian is left, than there is the potential for that one Christian to be enough of a light to generate more Christians and bring Souls to Christ, thereby restarting the Church. Christianity is not dead nor dying. It cannot be proven to be such until the last Christian falls and the Church totally collapses, an event that I am not convinced any of us will ever see as I believe Jesus is on the way soon.

    Personally, I feel that apostasy is much worse than a failure in Church attendance. It would be horrifying if the majority of Christians suddenly started preaching that anything goes and we may do as we please, that the Bible is just a fable and there is no need to heed what it says, it is okay to worship something whack like the stars, or that we should all start practicing witchcraft or communicating with the dead [Deuteronomy 18:10-12].

    As for the reasons of the supposed death of Christianity, the perception of Church as a judgmental place has not been held by all ‘millennials’. I am 24 years old, and I never had this idea. Nor did I perceive Church to be a boring place. I came with a determination that would not be denied. I reached out for Jesus Christ with an insatiable craving for him that would not take ‘no’ for answer. I was going to start coming to Church and I wasn’t going to let anything stand in my way. An attitude such as this will not be stopped by a few judgmental people looking down there noses at others, or even by the presence of hypocrites. In the end, I feel like some one used these as more excuses to stop going to Church or to keep from becoming a part of it.

    You should not blame yourself for whatever took place on that day. The lack of attendance at the mass is merely the choice of those who were not there.

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  160. I used to go to a church that was very welcoming to non believers. And they got concerned that if someone left, they had pushed them away. But I notice people just seem predisposed to think Christians are wackos, whether we actually are or not. I think we should just own it. We are different from other people, and that should show. Not that we should be freaky, but it’s normal for the world to think we’re kind of crazy.

    I want people to be drawn to my faith, but I want them to be drawn to the real thing, not a misconception of it. The truth is, the Real Thing will always seem wacky to some. But that’s because it’s real.

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    • Thanks so much for this thoughtful response. You’re right- we shouldn’t try to morph or change our faith to please others or fit in. I do think we should try and be as welcoming as possible though 🙂 share Christ’s light and love in every area of life 🙂 happy new year friend. So glad you stopped by! Hugs and love xox

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  163. Yup. I, too, don’t want to be labeled as one of those “church people” as you said. I also don’t talk about Jesus much publicly in order to avoid another stereotype – that of a poor cripple needing the crutch of faith. Too often, people think that church is only for the elderly, the disabled, the simpleminded – or only for the judgmental types who want to use the fear of God to control others and tell them what to do.

    If the world only knew!!! But… How can they know unless they are told… And how can they be told unless someone tells them…

    Sadly, the mainstream culture of the world is pushing a self-centered, materialistic point of view. Even volunteering for charities is mandatory high school credit. There is too little love in this world. And, though I am always striving to love others more and to show God’s love to others, after reading this post I can clearly see that I need to name that love for others. I need to be very clear about where my love originates – the Source and Summit of All: Christ. Merry Christmas!

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    • Hi Christina, thanks for this. You’re right — we need more love for sure!! People don’t even know their neighbors anymore…and I am guilty of that, living in an apartment building in nyc! I definitely need to work on that. Amen — He IS our life source! big hugs xox

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  165. Nope, it’s not dead. I’ve seen a decline in church’s holding services on Christmas Eve. It’s heartbreaking. We’re going on-line now.

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  166. I loved your post. Very well said! I was pleasantly surprised to see our church full Christmas morning. I hate to admit, I think that was the first time I actually attended church on Christmas day. I had been to Christmas Eve services on occasion, but on Christmas morning it can be too easy to blame the busy-ness of the day and stay home. I am so glad we went. It refreshed my heart and soul in a way that staying home would not have done. Plus, I got to see our friends’ adult children who were home for Christmas. 🙂

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  167. I 100% agree. I often worry its gone. Then I talk to my friends or see the amazing acts of love others do not only during the holidays but year round and think “It’s still here. Where there is generosity, kindness, and love. I will find it.”

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  168. Awesome post Sister. Great question:Is Christianity dead? We must keep in mind that we are commissioned to be fishers of men (Matthew 4:19), which means that it is the Christ that lives in us that attracts the “fish” to God. Fisherman don’t fish from the safety and comfort of a building, they go out amongst the fish and use bait that is appealing to the various fish that they are hoping to catch. I say that the fragrant aroma of Christ Jesus, that lives in us who truly Believe is our bait, but not everyone is attracted to the scent of Salvation and righteousness. We serve a mighty and very alive God, who said that we are the “Church” (1 Corinthians 3:9, 3:16, 6:19), and that He would live in us. So, I think that measuring the life of Christianity according to attendance in a dead building can be misleading and disheartening. Any good fisherman knows that the fish don’t just jump into the boat, right? Think about it; Jesus preached His message and drew the “Church” people out from the building and urged them to follow Him. God has given us the same mission; to urge men to turn to the living and loving God that raised our Lord and Savior from death to life. 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 says- God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.
    What an awesome and incredibly humbling thought, that the God who created the Universe and everything in it, had commissioned us with Christ to represent Him here on Earth, and not only that, He has given us the script- His Son and His Word- so we don’t have to worry about what to say or how to say it. So No, Christianity is not dead, but to quote our Lord Jesus Christ ” the harvest is plenty, but the workers are few, So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask Him to send more workers into His fields” Luke 10:2).

    God really loves your heart and He has grand plans for you so keep on seeking and be ready for your call.

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  169. I grew up non-Churchgoing Protestant, converted to RC in 2001, so have sat on both sides of the fence. You pretty well nailed it in this one! Many Catholics are far more open-minded than they might first appear. You have to actually *talk* with them to see what they really believe.

    Attendance is still pretty strong here in Toronto. I think it’s our multiculturalism. The Church is international, which is one of its strongest points, imo. So many newcomers find a home in their new country… home in the Church. Probably the same in NYC, I would imagine. 🙂

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  171. Thank you for this. I really loved it. You have some of the very same conflicts that I experience and often stalled between living ‘real life’ and my ‘letting my light shine’ so to speak. I do believe that we are in a new era. People have less tolerance for hypocritical behavior and pretense which I believe defines ‘church people’ and are desperately seeking real love and abundant living …like Christ came for. God bless you and enjoyed the post.

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  172. Thank you, for a wonderful and thoughtful piece, I am guilty of hypocrisy, I dwell in Christ and He in me, however when it comes to proclaiming that to the world I am a dismal failure. I am reluctant to share my faith unless someone asks. I take responsibility for improving others perception of a Christian. I believe it starts in our own heart and those closest to us. I will be praying to improve.

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  173. I think it takes a lot of guts to say what you said here, but I will also say that I am one of those Gen X’ers you referred to who doesn’t embrace any religion because I just have a really hard time with conflicting religious truth-claims – especially when it comes to celebrations like the birth and death of Christ (among other things).

    Most religious people I know / communicate with seem to acknowledge that they know Jesus was not born in the middle of winter (based on context clues from reading the bible), so it begs the question: why December 25th?

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    • Thank you so much Thomas, for this reflection. I personally don’t know why December 25, but I do know the importance of what we’re celebrating. 🙂 I really appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts. Big hugs xox

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  174. It is not easy to keep believing in this violent world full of so many bright ideas too that may confuse us. BUT as long as we imitate Christ by helping others, being kind, loving our families and spreading the good news of eternal life with God, we may do some good. I am hoping for more growth because people are missing out on the joy of a relationship with God. It all hangs on more time for prayer, That builds more faith and guts to witness about our love for others in this world. I can’t do it without Jesus and the Holy Spirit in me,and lots of judgemental people don’t do much at all about giving our Trinitarian God time.You can only be “in Christ” if you spend time “with Him.” If they did this, they would not be judgemental at all.
    Bless you ( Romans15:13)

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  175. I am encouraged to hear of your struggles in your daily walk with God. As you know, without that tension of faith and reason, and doubt, there is no true personal growth in Christ. As you eloquently stated, the Church is us – we are the reflection of God’s love for our world. To move from a quiet, personal faith in God to being open, active, and genuine as a follower of Christ is what our respective societies desperately yearn for. Gen X and the Millennials crave for the genuine, and search eagerly for new answers to age old problems. Nothing new under the sun, just a different way of doing Church. Run with it!

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  177. […] beautybeyondbones is a young, vivacious, and intelligent woman who has learned to love through personal crisis and the difficulties and hardships of this life. Her struggles towards being a genuine follower of Christ are open and endearing to the reader. I highly recommend her blog on WordPress. Encourage her as I have been encouraged. […]

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  178. This is a really good piece. There is much to discuss here. I will simply pass on an interesting anecdote from a friend of mine who is a Catholic speaker and writer. He was talking to a men’s group relating a conversation he had with a non-believer. The non-believer said, “Your God is too boring.” My friend, Jon Leonetti, responded in a completely unexpected way: “That’s my fault.” He went on to talk about how he hadn’t done enough to express his joy to others on the timeless beauty and eternal Truth of his Catholic faith. To make up for it, he wrote a book with the title, “Your Good is too boring” which you can buy on Amazon. It’s a good read. I don’t think we need to club people over the head with our faith, but to simply live it, and be open to sharing it when the Spirit tells us to. Thanks again for this wonderful essay.

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    • Thank you so much for this thoughtful reflection. Wow, what a powerful thought – it’s true — we need to make the faith come alive. thanks for passing that along! hugs xox

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  179. Great post! I think we as Christians are starting to redefine “Church” using social media instead of expensive buildings. The Biblical definition of Church is the congregation not a building. So keep spreading the gospel of Christ sister! Because We are The Church! God bless you!

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  181. Thank you for sharing your insight and being willing to be vulnerable by sharing your own struggles in this area of faith. It will be helpful for many who also share in “our” struggle with being more bold in our faith.
    I was recently given a book by George Barna, “America At The Crossroads”, (to be released in Sept. this year) After reading your post I believe you would find value in reading it as it talks about exactly what you are saying.
    I believe God is calling Christians to wake up, show up, and speak up. He is calling us to be the church He intended for us to be. It thrills my heart to read posts like yours and gives me hope. It is not to late! God can still revive the church.
    Christianity is not dead!
    Nothing is impossible with God!

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    • Thanks so much for this encouragement. Yes! Let’s be bold in faith! Sounds like a powerful book. I will definitely check it out. Yes – we’ve gotta wake up, show up, and speak up! Amen! Hugs and love xox

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  182. “… so I keep my faith private. Let that be a personal part of my life that is between me and God.”

    And in public, by living a life that God would be proud of you for living!

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  184. If the church is a building, Christianity is in trouble. Some church buildings are too small, needing to have 2 services on Saturday evening, and 3 Sunday morning. But, most are wanting for half the pews to be filled for the 10:30 service. One of our local pastors put up on the sign, “We are open between Christmas and Easter”. However, I believe that Paul and Peter wrote letters to the people, the congregations, of the church, not the building. I happen to love the traditions of the gothic church buildings, with Evensong services, pipe organs, etc. But, I find plenty of Christianity on the internet, when I do not happen to be in England, France, or Italy to enjoy those vast buildings. My brother, who happens to be a pastor, mentioned that at a meeting, he shook up the staff by suggesting that they should not assume that what they are doing now will be relevant in 5 years. A building become stagnant, needing upkeep and repair. The people grow.
    Oscar

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  186. Beautifully written! Yes, you are right, it is important for us to declare our faith to others for Christianity to continue to be heard. The best way that I can, personally, do this is to tell of my experiences where God has acted in my life. I relate stories of answers to prayers, protection that has been sent to me in times of need, the magnificent creations of God, and what Christ stood for while He was here.

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    • Thanks so much Dolores ! That so awesome. Yeah us always the most powerful to hear a personal, first hand account of the glory of God. Keep on sharing that!! Hugs and love xox

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  187. Thanks for liking my Puritan Quotes for Today, one of which stated “True godliness is that which breeds a quarrel between God’s children and the wicked. – John Dod” The problem is as you noted many take that to mean they should ” prance around all hoity-toity and look down on “non-church people” and scoff at their “heathen ways.””.

    Of course nothing should be further from the truth. I am a reformed Baptist often accused of such practices and worse just because of folks ignorance. To the contrary I (we) believe strongly in the Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20) and that it must be coupled with Paul’s teachings of Love (1 Corinthians 13:1-13).

    Those who do not follow this pattern are as John says 1 John 4:8, He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love..

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    • God is love! Amen to that. Thanks so much for this thoughtful reflection. You’re right, it’s a fine line to stand for god’s principles without being standoffish. It is our great challenge. But one that I know we can succeed at! 🙂 thanks for stopping by! Hugs and love xox

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  189. Hello. All the best for 2017! I can’t believe I have not visited your blog since this post. I have rectified it now and I will get the email notification when you have a new post. I removed that functionality when I was getting too many emails. Anyways…

    On this post – obviously, our faith has not died. Christianity is alive. I don’t go to church though. I used to. The whole family used to hear mass in our Catholic church, including my hubby who belongs to the NG Kerk (in English, New Dutch Reformed Church; I won’t even try to write the whole word but it will be on my next travel post as I saw the most beautiful NG Kerk on our way to our holiday destination).. Oh boy, I keep digressing.

    Why have we stopped going to church? I’m not sure. People have various reasons. It doesn’t mean we stopped believing. My daughter’s godmother isn’t happy about the church asking us to commit to a month donation, for example so she is put off. For me, other churchgoers discourage me.

    We were away in the Western Cape but being with my religious parents, we had to go to church for Christmas Day. We went to Christmas Eve in Johannesburg the previous year (and the church was packed). George is a small town and the Catholic church must have been small because they moved the mass to the hall. It was still packed. The priest actually said it was a record. Of course, there were visitors like us. Beside me is one of the more conservatives and she was whispering to her husband about some women who came to church with a backless outfit. I hope she wasn’t talking about me as I had a halterneck and only 1/3 top of my back wasn’t covered and my long hair was down so it covered my back anyway. I did try to hide my little cross tattoo. Lol! That was off-putting. I understand that the 2 women (a couple of rows in front of us) could have dressed more appropriately but I still didn’t think that this older woman beside me had the right to judge. I sat there remembering Jesus saying he came here for the sinners and tax collectors… I can’t quote, sorry. Point is, Jesus came to save us. Who needs to be saved? Sinners. I rest my case.

    BUT then again, I shouldn’t allow others who are not good representation of the church to discourage me and keep me away from the Temple of God. So yes, we have work to do – starting from us.

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    • Hi again Anne! Thank you so much for this thoughtful response. That’s awesome that it was packed!! I’m so sorry to hear that, yeah my favorite quote is .. i’m not sure by, and not 100% sure it’s exactly this, but it’s something like….”The more you judge someone, the less time you have to love them.” Or something like that. it rings true, though. haha looks like we both are like that with quotes 🙂 hehe amen!! Starting from us 🙂 thanks again for all your reading and kind words tonight. So glad you stopped by! big big big hugs xox

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      • Hmm, I wonder what happened there… I was responding.. typing.. I turned and my window changed. Lol! Mobiles. Let me use the laptop. 🙂

        It really is a pleasure to read your blog. It has everything – substance, soul, emotions, sense and most of all, God! All the time. Also, your posts are really lovely and wonderful, with images and graphics… and having Ryan Gosling in one recently is a huge bonus. He is yummy! Haha! AND, despite being gorgeous, you don’t focus on your physical beauty, which is refreshing. YET, you make the whole thing even more with your pictures. 🙂 I’m definitely happy I found you last year. I am looking forward to more reading, with lots of stimulation, smiles, laughs… feelings!

        We start making a difference, a little bit at a time – while we do our best to deliver fabulous blogging works. 🙂

        Much love to you, Caralyn, and warmest hugs, too xxx

  190. Hi BBB, what you describe, the decline of church attendance, the shift from religion to “spirituality”, the sense that open progressive Christians feeling awkward with many fellow believers – this has been happening in UK since the 1950’s. it is not that the USA will slavishly follow the dismal trend of the UK, but there will be similarities.

    Faith in UK is now quite a marginal activity viewed with suspicion by the majority, and even legally this is so (esp’ employment law). Same interestingly applies to Muslims.

    However, this gives us the true opportunity to offer genuine alternatives. And the majority community sometimes recognises this. The food banks are largely run by churches, the Cathedral services are now growing in numbers big time. big news stories of forgiveness are often peopled by Christians.

    Christianity will never die. In UK, I think we’ve hit bottom, and what is happening is more than “a dead cat bounce”.

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  191. Thank you for stopping by my blog to read it.
    Christianity has been maligned and denigrated for eons, but it is still standing tall. It has survived its pall bearers, every time. Voltaire predicted that Christianity would be dead in 100 years. At this moment, the building where he made that utterance houses a vibrant Bible Society.
    It is true that we Christians mess up sometimes by not extending the same grace that God gave us to other people. That is why we need to study carefully the life of our Lord Jesus and learn from Him how to treat other people. Although He did not condone sin, Jesus was approachable to sinners so much that the religious leaders of His day protested against His eating with sinners. We need to emulate the life of Jesus and to “Let this mind be in [us] which was in Him.”
    May the Lord grant us the courage and the grace to do so.

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    • Thanks so much for this thoughtful reflection! That’s so true – Jesus was approachable to all people. We should strive to follow His example in that! Thanks for stopping by and for sharing this powerful perspective! Hugs and love xox

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  192. Right on. We have a part to play and the question is, what are we doing to play a part in the advancement of the kingdom of God? We have become room filled consumer rather than room filled with disciples makers. Thanks for sharing!

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  193. The Christmas Eve service we always attend had lower attendance than usual as well. I believe what you said about being a Christ follower in private but not letting it show so much in our day to day lives is true. A couple weeks ago I went back to work for a friend, a friend who doesn’t wear her faith for the world to see. When I was asked to do something that went against how Jesus called us to behave and I politely but firmly refused it cost me my job. But a co-worker who is unsaved saw what went down and she looked at me and said that I was the real deal. We must wear our faith publicly – after all Christ died for us publicly. We should walk in it, shout it from the roof tops, show it, and share. I loved your post. Stand strong and proclaim Jesus with your every action and breathe, let your life shine with his love. God is not dead and together we can show the world.

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  196. Everyday is an opportunity to share God’s love….. I meet and greet different people everyday… gas stations… workplace… grocery store… and I have the opportunity to share the love of God with them… sometimes I get a tug on my heart to go talk to a person or pray for them… and I’m not always obedient…but God doesn’t condemn us, neither should we feel condemned…Growth comes from the Father….those opportunities to share Him are not meant to bring us down but to fulfill that joy we have in us in knowing Him…. Be encouraged… thanks for sharing this story… it would seem this way “in a lot of places” and yes we are responsible, but we are not alone…. the body of Christ is very much alive, and it’s interactions that we have everyday that we have opportunity to encourage one another.

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    • thank you so much for this beautiful reflection. you’re right – we are the body of Christ to everyone we come across. and its in the everyday interactions that we can really spread the gospel. thanks for stopping by xox

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  197. This whole exercise in lamintation and mutual support is disturbing on so many levels. You do know that poles show the 77% of the population identity as Christian. Granted that is down from 86% from 1990.

    The fact religions require adherents the beleave the least problem explanation for almost everything may be a contributing cause. The Bible is demonstrably in error about everything regarding the natural world.

    There are no such things as gods, demons, pixies, fairies, trolls, smurfs, angles, ghosts, saints, nor afterlife. There are no such thing as miracles, prophesies, omens, signs, poltergeist or zombies.

    Unless you prey out loud your talking to yourself.

    Everyone is born and everyone dies. Everyone!

    All there is or ever was is the natural world. By any measure all religions have been abject failures in advancing the human condition.

    The belief in the supernatural was mans primitive attempts to understand the natural world and their place in it. Yes, primitive.

    Well here we are. I bet you’re puzzled by my hostile attitude towards Christians.
    Hard to fathom is it. You do understand that atheism is simply the rejection of the existence of anything supernatural. Not met the burden of proof—yada, yada. It’s not a substitute for anything.

    I would like to spend my limited time pondering our natural world without the relentless efforts by the faithful to create a reality based on a fiction that are all holy books. They are all demonstrably in error. Here is the killer diller. Failure to accept what is clearly impossible, morally reprehensible and blatant retelling of myths from older cultures will result in my ghastly torment for eternity.

    The fact that you have no problem with this concept causes me to conclude that your God and every last one of you are ethically challenged and morally bankrupt.

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    • Most atheists I’ve met, are incredibly intelligent. I can never understand, though, the constant animosity and irritable attacks on Christians who just want to experience fellowship and celebrate their faith. As Catholics, we hope to be able to open the door for people who are looking for answers. Be compassionate and empathetic. Answer questions as best we can in accordance with a church teaching that has existed 2 millennia. I could just discuss the theory of contingency, or the wisdom and theology of Aquinas, or other informative ways, but, I would hazard to guess, that, you sound incredibly angry at Christians, which hints at your upbringing or some tortured relationship, but quite certainly a complete misunderstanding of the man Jesus was and his purpose. There are just as many historical markers proving truths as you can say there are not.
      Finally, what I have a real difficult time with is when did we allow the petulant child to rule? Who comes into the room and demands to prove there is a God? I could easily respond, please, enlighten us and prove there is no God, but you entirely miss the point of ‘what is faith’.
      I wish you a happier New Year.

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      • Exactly. You can’t imagine. You my friend, have constructed a world view based on a book from the Iron Age understanding of the natural world that features a God, well really three because they each distinctly unique qualities, contradictory descriptions of the resurrection (J. didn’t really die, a bad weekend for sure, just shrugged it of and then went to heaven to be with himself). No geniuses. No flood. No wondering in the dessert. When you boil it down it’s what you would expect form a primitive culture.
        The anger you sense emanating from me comes from a lifetime of witnessing the harm caused by the belief in the supernatural, least probable, unverifiable and this super hero is on your side. Every argument supporting the existence of god requires faith. For me that’s game set and match. One more thing, I resent that I have to study that horrible piece of fiction in order to deal with the Clingons of the world. Thanks for taking the time to respond.

      • You are most welcome! I certainly can imagine a little; my parents are atheists (actually, officially scientific pantheists). Myself, I considered in my youth that I was altheistic – a cafeteria religious: shopping for what I wanted, or thought I needed. It was in studying theology that I learned we don’t HAVE to know why all the time. So I matured into explanations that were peace-filled definitions of hope – something the world is in short supply of. Like you, I chafe at meeting disingenuous, awful, evangelists spewing error and fear with every breath. But only, I gently try to correct them. For it’s not me they have to explain to. I don’t believe I have a superhero, but most important a perfect example of how I am to. E, and to treat others. And when I come up short, which I will, I will beg forgiveness as I try to be better the next day. Surely, there can’t be any harm I trying to be a better person. It’s good for everyone, even all of us hypocrites at Mass. 😉
        I would start the New Year with you, wishing you peace.

      • Certainly, that is a complicated question and difficult to provide a satisfactory answer a non-believer – but I’ll give it a turn.
        I would ask you to agree that the Jesus Christ we believe is Savior, is certainly a difficult (purportedly) model to emulate, but we try. And that in the act of Confession, we resolve to amend our lives, and even to avoid the near occasions of sin. So the first act of forgiveness is realizing we come up short, and that we didn’t quite avoid everything. So first we have to forgive ourselves; we have to realize error. Protestants believe they just go straight to God. But Catholics think that is too simple. Anyone can say to themselves, in a silent conversation with God, “uh, sorry.” So the Sacrament of Reconciliation was instituted, by Jesus, at the Last Supper, to be given by the apostles: the first priests. Flash forward. So we go to our priest, confess where we came up short of the ideal, to the person ordained by Christ – in persona Christi – and ask forgiveness. And, in contrast to the Protestant, here the centuries old response audibly offer forgiveness. It may sound odd to you, but imagine what a raw, and humbling conversation this is, to go to someone and tell them your failings.
        I’m sure I haven’t done justice to my faith, and gave a long answer to a short and simple question. We ask God for forgiveness, but it doesn’t work unless we try to do better next time.
        Thank you for asking!

      • No, it’s not complicated at all. No ritual to preform. No, it’s quite simple. Really, really simple. If you find yourself wanting forgiveness you address the aggrieved party and make your request. If you sense a failing in yourself you are the the only one effect change. You may need help but I’m reasonably sure magic ain’t the answer.

      • Haha, well I’m not THAT bad off, but I understand the skepticism. I always find it is good to speak in confidence to someone willing to listen – something else the world is in short supply of. I wish you the very best. I welcome you back anytime in fellowship.

  198. I always tell people I’m not religious… I am faithful and faith-filled. That usually draws a confused look. But we are called as Catholics to love our neighbor as ourselves, are we not. And to do it in such a way that is seamless with ourselves.- in order to be “convicted” of being Christian.
    I felt the same way this Christmas. After a decade at our parish, without advanced notice, the powers decided to make the midnight Mass a Spanish Mass. I do not mind the Spanish Mass, except that I do not speak Spanish (I just say the responses iaw the Irish Mass, which really confuses the people near me) – so I just absorb the life and palpable reflection of Christ’s love for us. But all of a sudden, my family was completely disjointed! They would not have it. Before I could suggest another parish, for another rendition at Midnight, I discover that we are going to 8:30 to support the youth choir, at which my youngest daughter was to play cello for. Before I knew it, the fiasco continued to unravel – they did not think she was going to play, didn’t bring the music, yada yada yada. Ugh. My Mathew Kelly-inspired Rhythm of Life was blown apart by an elephant gun.
    So we are in Ordinary Time now, and I realize it is past time to let things go with the tide. But, I need to reflect on the Midnight Mass conundrum that I feel we will be staring down as a nation this next December. I hope I am wrong!

    I.X. Michael

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  199. I think it was Voltaire who said “Religion was born was born when the first scoundrel met the first fool” If not he, I think he at least endorsed it. The first tenet of epistemology is that belief is not knowledge unless it is internally consistent and externally justified. Much more of course but Christianity is based on belief not knowledge. A bizzare doctrine is that of the virgin berth. This reasoning could go out past unbounded infinity. Perhaps Christianity is not dead, it was not really alive based upon knowledge,just hearsay.

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  200. But sir, of course it is hard to believe, otherwise, were it easy, it would be easy to explain – and equally easy to discount! Therein lies the paradox. But faith is not necessarily about proof. It’s about a leap to the next rung… without a net.
    What is infinitely more important is to take the example of who Jesus was, and try to live up to it. Impossible, yes, but even partially makes the world slightly better, don’t you think?

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  201. Thank you for sharing this. It is a message that more need to hear. The Church is not dead. Christianity is not dead. But (!) both are ill. Both are suffering from severe apathy. Many have turned away from the church and many have turned away form God but the good news is that Jesus has not turned away from them. He still waits with open arms:

    Come, ye sinners, poor and needy,
    Weak and wounded, sick and sore;
    Jesus ready stands to save you,
    Full of pity, love and power.

    We are the Church. The Church is not a building, it is the Body of Christ who worship together and go out into the world on a mission. The mission is to share His pity, love and power with all who would come to Him. We are His hands and feet and we are His heart and Spirit in the world. With His eyes we can look compassion onto the poor in spirit… we can bring them the blessing of knowing Jesus.

    You are the Church and you have a mission. You can not keep your light under a bushel. ( Matthew 5:14–15, Mark 4:21–25 and Luke 8:16–18.) You (Yes, you!!!) are to be salt and light in this world. Jesus has no hands but yours, he has no feet but yours. You are His voice and His compassion in the world. His light is to be revealed not concealed. He did not come just for you but He came for all.

    God Bless.

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    • Hi oogata, thank you so much for this powerful and thoughtful response. Both are ill, that’s a really interesting way to put it. Yeah, we need to be proactive and reawaken the passion. And amen tot that: Jesus IS waiting with open arms. Yes! We are the church- let’s let that light shine. Hugs to you xox

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      • A great post. Christianity and all other religions are under threat from secularism and I think that you are right that Christians such as yourself need to speak out more. Also I was very influenced by doing the Evangelical Alpha Course which aims to reconnect people with Christianity. I didn’t become a Christian as I decided that 12 Step fellowships were enough for me and my recovery but I am very friendly towards Christianity and think it is the best religion in the world in terms of the social good it does. I’m not so keen on Catholicism because of their stance on women priests but I believe it is evangelical protestant movements that are growing globally more than Catholicism at the moment. 🙂

  206. Your observations reminded me of a “Thought for the Week” I recently shared in a congregation’s newsletter after reading articles of more & more Christians being martyred around the globe: “Why are my Christian brothers and sisters around the world willing to die for Christ when the ‘Christians’ around me are not even willing to live for Him?” What you shared were descriptions of what has been deemed the “Post-Christian” era. It is also one of the reasons why I started my blog.

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  207. Loved your post! it’s sad but so true in so many ways and you are so right to say that only we can change the world’s perception of “the church”. And it begins with one of the most important commandments – LOVE. Love your neighbour as yourself, therefore you need to love yourself first, so you can love the world the way God intended it to be loved. Only by loving the unlovable can we demonstrate that Christianity is a relationship, not a religion. It’s a way of life, not an ideology, it is deeper than any theology … it is so much more. And once you love people the way the Father intended it becomes very difficult to judge and exclude them. Sending so many blessings for an awesome read!

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  208. I really enjoyed reading your thoughts. Christians are taking it on the chin lately, and are being labeled elitist, deluded, narrow-minded, judgmental, and behind the times. Suddenly, it’s against the rules to say the name of Jesus out loud in school when His is the only Name that gives us life. We’re being executed by ISIS en mass when we admit we are Christians. We are, of course, suffering for His sake as he predicted. Here’s one huge difference between Christianity and Islam: We want to introduce the whole world to the love and the life of Jesus Christ, to encourage people to believe that the crucifixion was real; that Christ died for our sins; that no amount of animal sacrifice or “good works” can possibly erase our sin and make us righteous. Without the power of Jesus in our lives, we remain in bondage to the flesh, to self, to strongholds. Islamic extremists truly belief it is the will of Allah to physically conquer the whole planet, establishing a giant caliphate, murdering anyone who will not convert. The infidels must be pushed out of Islamic territories. The Quran contains at least 109 verses that call Muslims to war with non-believers for the sake of Islamic rule. Some are quite graphic, with commands to chop off heads and fingers and kill infidels wherever they may be hiding. Muslims who do not join the fight are called ‘hypocrites’ and warned that Allah will send them to Hell if they do not join the slaughter. Quran 4:95 criticizes “peaceful” Muslims who do not join in the violence, letting them know that they are less worthy in Allah’s eyes. It also demolishes the modern myth that “Jihad” doesn’t mean holy war in the Quran, but rather a spiritual struggle. Quran 8:12 states, “I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them.” To me, Islam is a religion of exclusion, not Christianity. Christians leave the fate of man up to God, not to Christians. Islam preaches hate from the pulpit. I find it less embarrassing to be a Christian. Jesus Christ was sent to Earth as the sin solution. Jehovah does not tell us to go out and chop off the heads and fingertips of those who choose not to believe in Him. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No man can come to the Father except through Him.

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    • Thanks for this thoughtful reflection. I appreciate you sharing this perspective. We are definitely living in an unprecedented time in a lot of ways. All we can do is pray for peace 🙂 Hugs and love xox

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  209. Thank you for this profound, wise, and honest blog. God bless you with joy and success in 2017 and beyond. Let’s pray that all the readers of this marvelous blog take it to heart: may we all go out on a limb to share Jesus just as He went out on the limb for us. God bless.

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    • Hi Stephanie! oh wow, thank you so much for this thoughtful response! I’m so glad you enjoyed the read! 🙂 gosh, I am touched by your kind words. Yes! Let’s pray for both of our ministries 🙂 big hugs to you xox

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  210. Very true post! We can’t be afraid to speak about who we love which is Jesus ! I have also been kind of quiet about my faith and excused that with being too busy but that is not an acceptable excuse at all. So, I in particular need to work on that and speak up more. However, yes, I am a Jesus Geek or what some would like to prefer as Jesus “Freak”. Regardless, as long as we stand for Jesus, he will stand with us!
    God bless you!

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  211. Good Afternoon again. I’d like to take time to address some of your points in our blog sometime in the next few months, if I may. Christmas was the time when we were excluded from our parish by the assistant priest; while I agree with the thrust of your argument, that each of us has a personal responsibility, if the pastors do not have the ‘smell of the sheep’ about them the community is severely compromised from the outset.

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  212. Thank you for your thoughts. I appreciated your last line. “Because at the end of the day, if Jesus can stretch out His arms and die on a limb for me, I can go out on one, for Him.” I also thank you for regularly reading my Good Morning messages. We will continue to so what we can to share God’s good news, and seek to let people know that our Lord has a good life He wants them to share.

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  213. I do not think it is dead. I think we need to come off the sugar coated version of what it truly is. Nowadays all we want to hear about are the good things that are to come. But that is hard to convince anyone of when they look around and do not see much good. The angels and the peacefulness of heaven are all we will talk about. We won’t speak on the horrible death of the Founder of Christianity nor that of many others over the last two thousands it took to build the church. We have become too self-righteous and too luke-warm. We won’t speak on the fact there is a real spiritual enemy out to destroy the church. Like secular world we pretend the dark forces doesn’t exist. We have forsaken Christianity. It has not forsaken us.

    Must Jesus bear the cross alone,
    and all the world go free?
    No, there’s a cross for everyone,
    and there’s a cross for me.

    We, today cringe at these words above. We aren’t willing to bear a cross, we want everything to be goody-goody gumdrops 24/7 and when it isn’t we are not willing plow through things as the early Christians did. If we aren’t willing to do anything out of our comfort zone, then how do we expect the world to believe we truly believe this Man is the Son of God?

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    • Thank you so much for this powerful perspective. You’re right. We are called to carry our cross with Jesus. That is so powerful. Thanks for giving us this awesome nugget of insight to mull over today. Hugs and love xox

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  214. This was really very good. Perhaps the problem is reading the same book for 2000 years losses it’s mystery. There are only so many ways to read the book and by now people think that they have it covered and just watch a TV bible story instead of going to church. Perhaps it isn’t about a book and that gets lost in church sermons that try to stick with just the book. What was the real point of the writing. The writers were ancient poets and many of the poems were written hundreds of years after the fact. They aren’t literal transcripts of conversations. A group of men voted on what went in the bible and several poems were not included. How can anyone vote on whether God said something or not? Its the overall meaning of the collection of stories that would seem most important and I don’t get that feeling from all of the churches I have been to. Give it some thought, love your work.

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    • Thank you so much for this thoughtful response. I think to a lot of people, faith feels like it’s not needed or that it’s out of touch. We must seek to have people have true encounters in Christ, through our conversations, through how we treat others and acts of service. Thanks for th thought provoking comment. Hugs and love xox

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      • There is a question I often ask people. ” If God was down at the street corner would you rush to greet Him or would you run the other way.” I believe so many have poor faith and have behaved poorly and would be ashamed or even afraid to face God. This is not such an easy question to answer, but we should all consider the question from time to time.

  215. Thanks for the Like on my post, A Silent Christian Speaks – Part One. Your post, Is Christianity Dead? also resonated with me. We use different words and a different style, but we both are trumpeting a similar message. May God bless, guide and protect you as you continue to witness for Him. Keep up the great work!

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  216. Loved this! Yet I am one who was raised Catholic but no longer attends church. I also no longer consider myself a Chtistian but a discipline of Christ. Why? Because of the attitude many Christians have of pointing out other people’s wrongs and judging them when they themselves are sinners. The simplest command Jesus gave was “love one another.” Not seeing much of that in today’s world. However it is one I am trying to live by when dealing with others, even those I choose to walk away from. I would love to find a church which is based in this, even if that means leaving my roots of Catholicism behind. I will say, despite not having a place to worship and celebrate with others, my spirituality has deepened in leaps and bounds. Without God and His grace, I would not be where I am today or who I am today.

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    • Hey again Annie! Thanks so much for sharing this. Loving one another is definitely definitely important. Especially in our interactions with others, because we may be the only Gospel they ever encounter. His grace really is amazing. Hugs to you xox x

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  217. The subject of this post is one of the greatest challenges for the Church in our culture. Local bodies of believers have cloistered together into ‘spiritual country clubs.’ Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent building and maintaining great facilities across this country. We want to draw people into the building so our ‘hired guns,’ the vocational staff can win them over. Jesus made it clear in His Seminal Sermon to His followers – The Sermon on the Mount – that we are to be His witnesses to our culture, and to be salt and light in our communities. “Let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven,” We must take back the marketplace. The assembly of believers is for us to recoop, get spiritually fed and worship our God..Many of us beyond age 40 probably have some warm memories of worship services as children. Unfortunately, the Church was being lulled to sleep by the momentum of spirituality from past generations. I believe God will lay the fall of our culture at the feet of the Church in the US. BUT . . . the Church thrives under persecution. It will never die! Thank you for your honesty in addressing your internal struggle, one that I can certainly relate to.
    And, by the way, thanks for liking my post!

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    • Hey there! Thanks so much for your thoughtful reply. You’re right it is definitely a challenge. And you’re right, we are called to be His witnesses. Let let that light shine. Thanks for stopping by. Hugs and love xox .

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  220. Thank you for this post. I hadn’t read it prior to my most recent post but they seem to dovetail nicely with one another.

    The body of Christ and the buildings themselves are, in my opinion, both on life support. There are too many attending church who only want the ‘feel good’ part of Christianity. They don’t want to discuss the issue of demonic forces or the rise of evil in the world.

    I don’t know where you stand with all of that but I do know that the threat is real and Jesus spoke of this in His revelation to John.

    We are living in desperate times and we need to wake up before it’s too late.

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  221. Just reading this blog. After watching Right to Life March today, I think we can have great faith, there were many young people and they were very enthusiastic about saving the unborn. Also, my church was full this year, 4 PM on Sat. afternoon. There was a short children’s play 15 min. before, the priest sat with the kids down front before the sermon and talked about their gift of love to Jesus. It was beautiful to see. God always wins, we just have to witness to His love.

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  222. I just reread this today. I realized that I neglected to comment the 1st time that I read it. Thank you for sharing your honest thoughts on the state of Christianity. As a member of the fast growing Evangelical Non denomination church, I have a slightly different perspective. That said, I agree, our courage in sharing our personal Christian walk with our friends & coworkers is key. I find that sharing the Gospel with my clients can be exhilarating. I picture Jesus cheering every time we share the Gospel or just bless someone.

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    • Hi James! Oh gosh thank you so much for taking the time to read this a second time! Oh yes! I bet He’s cheering through a megaphone:) haha thanks for stopping by! Hugs and love xox

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  224. “There is a decline in our faith, and it’s time to not mince words and take a cold, hard look in the mirror. Because like it or not, we are the face of the church.

    But the stereotype is that “church people” are incredibly “judgey” people. That they prance around all hoity-toity and look down on “non-church people” and scoff at their “heathen ways.””

    This is everything! I, too, don’t always wear my Christianity on my sleeve for fear of being a judgy church person…one of those people. Absolutely striving to change that. I’m sharing this post!

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  225. I always keep myself open to be used by the Trinity. I never push or preach my beliefs of the Trinity to others unless I’m called to do so. At least, that is His will and righteousness of me at this point in my life. Same with my career as an actor…I do my acting until He calls me to another assignment. I no longer follow religion; rather, I follow Christ on a daily basis; and, for me, this is much more challenging than following the rules of the Catholic Church — for me, the Trinity knows it is best for me to leave the Catholic Church at least for this part of my life. He might call me back to the Catholic Church, but I doubt it; because, I have a deeper and more mature relationship with Him since I left the Catholic Church.

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    • Oh wow! I didn’t know you were an actor! That’s so awesome! And what a great perspective to have on that. You’re right – go where He leads in your career! 🙂 and thank you for sharing that – im glad you have a deeper connection with Him. Hugs and love xox

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      • I was happy to learn you act, as well — especially, as a child. I hope to see you on-set one day. I’m happy you’re exploring and writing about your experiences with Him. I realize you’ve been through some very challenging experiences; and, it is great to read you positive attitude and your faith in Him.

  226. Thank you for your like – now I see that you are one of those who practice as they preach. There should definetly be more people like you out there… The fact is, that heathens can be just as judgmental as any other religion!

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  233. This post was absolutely amazing. I constantly struggle with hiding my faith for fear that people will think I’m one of those “church people” that you described. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people out there that fit the stereotype and I don’t want people to categorize me as soon as they find out that I am a Christian. This was very encouraging to me and makes me want to be more open about my faith. Everyone who knows me knows that I’m a Christian but I’m definitely not as bold as others. If God isn’t ashamed to love us, why should we be ashamed to show the world that we love Him?

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    • Thanks so much for this thoughtful reflection. so glad it resonated with you. You’re so right, we should feel free to express our love for Jesus 🙂 thanks for stopping by! big hugs xo

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  235. I happened on this because you showed up as liking one of my posts last year when I wrote under ChristianParanormal. That like still shows up even though I deleted the site. And this article caught my eye. You raise uncomfortable points, and that’s why I like it. You’ve made me think about some things. I’m grateful. Peace.

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  236. Christianity will never be dead because Jesus is forever alive and it is he that is the head of the church. We being the bricks of such a great building, have a role to play in bringing the love of God to others. We are the body of the church of God. If we don’t share the love of Jesus, who will? God hated the sin, never the sinner. It’s not up to us to judge. Our duty is to love.. . . .

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  239. Amen! This has been weighing on my heart heavily this past month or two. As someone who is trying to minister to others in my life, I have to make sure that I can give advise and direction without being a pharisee. Thank you for this great post and your courage!

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    • thank you so much Teresa! same to you! you’re on a reading roll tonight 🙂 thanks for stopping by! Hugs and love xox

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  241. You have just liked one of my blog posts so I thought hey let’s go to see what she likes to talk about. Even though we are not from the same faith, I fully agree with you. We need to be the lights that will attract others to the Gospel.
    I live in a country where religion isn’t as public as in United States ; you can have your religion but it’s a private matter. But I try as much as I can to let people know of my faith. I make them ask me questions, and every time some core values are at stake in a situation I never hesitate to let them know what I think as a believer, without trying to impose my view on others. And I must say that people are interested in that kind of behavior. Because even though they might not share all your views, they appreciate that you have values and you stand by them. This is so rare nowadays …
    I think we must show our light is attract others, without trying to rule their lives, but showing and testifying how God changed our life. He changed mine in a so profound way that I cannot stay silent about it.

    Thanks for your like on my post and for this post.

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    • Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on this Yann. Yes let’s show our light! Hugs and love xox

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  242. I once told a Christian friend about my struggles with my new marriage. Being married to a foreigner, we had more first-year troubles than just the normal differences between newlyweds. We were from different lands, spoke different languages. Seeking advice, my Christian friend said smugly “Well…you know…we (referring to her and her husband) don’t ever fight…because you know, we attended pre-marital classes, so we never fight.” And that was all she said. No help. No advice. No compassion for my tears. Nothing. Just snub judgment. I didn’t speak to her much after that.

    Another example-when I was in college, a girl had talked to one of my Christian friends and then came to me. She said-“you know my boyfriend and I live together and I just wanted advice but all she kept saying was ‘no, you shouldn’t be living together’ and that’s it, but that just doesn’t apply to my situation. I can’t just move out. I have nowhere to go. What should I do?” I can’t remember anymore what exactly she needed help with or what advice I gave, but the main thing she was looking for was just a friend to talk with.

    Christians need to remember that people are human beings, precious people with hearts and minds and souls. None of us makes perfect decisions all the time. Sometimes we are sinful. Sometimes we don’t realize. Sometimes we get into situations we can’t get out of.

    My point is that Christians need to give grace and love first, then judge later, if it is righteous judgment of course at the right time. We should seek wisdom and love above all else. My husband and I have been married more than ten years. We have two kids and he is the love of the life. “Pre-marital counseling” was not a possibility for us, as we lived in different countries, among other things. But I knew 100% that he was my godly husband. A little wise advice and a caring friend would have helped me survive our first year of marriage a little bit better.

    Thanks for this post. I love your website! You are beautiful!

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    • Thank you so much, Ana for sharing your heart in this thoughtful response. So many important points. You’re right – grace and love. Hugs and love xox

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  243. When it comes to church attendance, probably should look at countries that aren’t predominantly Christian. For instance here in Dubai, the churches see the highest numbers in attendance only twice a year. I bet you can guess when those times are…
    When you read the bible and the stories of the amazing things done by the apostles, you wonder if that is even all possible. Christianity was this tiny flame and it was being carefully nurtured and spread just to keep it alive.
    However since its explosion into the mainstream arena, I feel that most are Christians for namesake. Either they’re born into a Christian family or convert for the sake of marriage, etc.
    People like you, Caralyn, keep the fire alive. Christianity isn’t dead. Christians are…
    Most have lost the identity and don’t even understand that power that lives inside of them.

    If you have the Holy Spirit inside of you, there is so much in you. Every word that you speak has power. Every action that you do has power.
    In the words of Spiderman, “With great power comes great responsibility.”
    God gave his church the Holy Spirit, and all the church has done so far, is to ignore his voice, focus on traditions, vain arguments and denominational quarrels.

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    • Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts about this. Yes, we must call on the HS to be our guide! Hugs and love xox

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    • Thank you so much! I really appreciate that. And amen to that! Hugs and love xox

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