Missional Potential

Excerpts from The Decline And Fall Of Christian America... Yes... but No. by Dan Kimball

I just read the cover story article of Newsweek which is coming out on the 13th. It is titled "The Decline And Fall Of Christian America." You can read it here.The cover looks gloomy almost like a horror film with an all black background and red letters.

What is in the article doesn't surprise me, as it does describe the world we are in. It uses the term "post-Christian" which many have been using for quite a while. We don't have to be convinced we are in a "post-Christian" world, as we live in it and already recognize it. So I agree with the basic premise of the article. It is a good article and worth taking the time to read.

...

So I think maybe there is a decline of a certain shape and sub-culture(s) of "Christian America" as the article states. But at the same time, there is a rising and surging of missional church leaders, church planters, and Christians who have already recognized that we are in a "post-Christian" America as the article states. But that recognition has simply fueled creativity, prayer and passion for mission and because God is God, people are coming to a saving faith in Jesus. So it is ironically quite an exciting time period in the midst of this gloomy title and cover. It feels as though some expressions of church and Christianity maybe is fading out. But at the same time there is excitement and energy and hope as churches who have already recognized what this article says about being in a "post-Christian" country - and have made changes to become churches on mission.

I am so optimistic for the future and have great hope. Yes, there is a "decline and fall" as the article states of certain types of "Christianity" and church perhaps. But there is also a rising and resurgence of missional churches and missional Christians. Churches and Christians who are rethinking what it means to be "be the church" and to be the church on mission. It may mean rethinking how we go about things since we do live in a "post-Christian" world. It may not be as easy or routine as it has in the past. It may shake up some of our ecclesiological catagories that we have constructed. But it should only spur us onward in adventure, not get us depressed looking at a spooky black cover with red letters.

So... gloomy...yes. But... no. Exciting. Adventure. Prayerful. Mission. So don't let this cover discourage you - and then turn inward thinking the world is falling apart and we wait for the end times novel stories to come true so we can escape the "decline and fall". But instead may it motivate us and provoke us all the further into mission and see living here in America all the more as a missional adventure filled with potential.

...