What has happened to the Church, why do we have problems?

This patient would be a student doctor’s dream or greatest nightmare,  to find all the same symptoms in the one patient.  The problem is, which of all the symptoms, diseases and problems is the most life threatening, and how do you treat such a patient, so that he or she remains alive long enough to begin treating them, and gradually bringing  them back to normal health?

I come across many local churches, both in Thailand and in the UK, some of them have many of these symptoms, some have less , but it seems to me, that maybe with a few exceptions, nearly every church you enter is showing some of these symptoms.

Together we all make up the body of Christ.  Churches which are in our locality are actually part of that body too, but even so, some local churches act as if they are the only true branch of the body of Christ in their locality and when talking of one of the other denominations, or groups of Christians in the same area, there are looks of disdain, or words of dislike as if “those” people are outcasts and not worthy of passing the time of day with.

In the 1970’s Michael Griffiths wrote the book “Cinderella with amnesia” challenging readers to think about the relevance of the church, and aiming to give an understanding of what the church is all about.  Most of us who read the book as young people, are now the older/elder people in the church, and by now we should have passed on our excitement and understanding of the relevance of the church, so that the next generation coming up will have caught our excitement and be filled with joy at being part of God’s eternal plan to bring men and women, boys and girls into his kingdom.   Unfortunately it doesn’t seem to have happened.  Anyone who attends Sunday services on a regular basis may realize that there is an increasing lack of young people attending Sunday services, or “the church”.  If they are there at all, they often leave the church (sanctuary/place of adult worship) when the children leave for their classes, and have separate meetings felt to be more appropriate for their age group.  The problem is that they have never learned to be “in” the church, “part” of the church, nor have they been particularly involved in the church, unless on special occasion the young people are asked to lead parts of the normal worship service. 

When they reach the age that the youth pastor/worker feels they are now old enough to be part of the church worship services, they have no idea how to relate to the “service/worship” culture, and find it incredibly boring, listening to a speaker for 10 – 45 minutes, maybe more, with no opportunity to discuss, challenge or offer an opinion, in the way that they are used to, and so begins the mass exodus of young people from our churches.  Praise the Lord that often when they leave for University the CU’s find them, and begin to help them to bridge the gap between what they have experienced and what church is really all about.  But sadly many more feel they have “done” church, and found it to be wanting, and kick over the traces.

“The church in the ER” is a parable-like look at the problems the church is presenting with, a look at the symptoms and the reasons for the problems in the first place, and with a diagnosis,  an attempt at recommendations for dealing with the problem and a prognosis given the right treatment, and change in lifestyle so that Christ’s beloved Bride may be restored to health and strength and actively be completely  involved in serving Him once more.