Love in a Vacuum

The latest religious classification on the scene is the "Nones", those people who are "spiritual but not religious". This isn't really that new, I suppose. Indeed, sincere Christians for decades have been complaining, "Christianity isn't a religion; it's a relationship." Why? Well, because religion has a bad name. Religion is structure and dogma and buildings and all that stuff. Never mind that the Bible defines religion (James 1:26-27). (Note: James defines religion as a positive thing.) So we want to avoid all that structure and all that doctrine and just be ... spiritual. You know, "I can worship God best on a mountaintop rather than a church building." Oh, so spiritual, isn't it?

Except it's not what the Bible says.

So we're baling out on church in droves. Barna suggests that some 23% are unattached to church, another 15% are intermittent ("under-churched"), 3% are not attending except, perhaps, for an occasional house church, and another 3% mix church with home church. Only 56% of those calling themselves Christians actually attend church. From there it only gets worse. Religionfacts.com claims that in Vermont only 24% of the entire population attend church. The national average is 42%, with Alabama rated the highest at 58%. When you consider that 33% of the world's population is identified as Christian, those numbers are even smaller. And from there it only gets worse. Churchleaders.com says that a head count of actual church attendance in 2004 put the percentage of church attendance at 17.7%, far below the reported 40% from Gallup's report. Let's face it; going to church is not really very popular today.

Consider, though, the words of our Savior ... you know, the "Christ" in "Christian" ... the One we claim to be following:

By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another (Joh 13:35).

Now, isn't that interesting? Apparently our idea in our enlightened age is that we have every capacity to love the brethren ... without actually spending time with them. We don't meet them for worship. We don't involve ourselves in their lives. We don't gather for fellowship. We do it all ... in a vacuum.

Jesus is depicted as walking among the local churches (Rev 1:12-13, 20). He is said to have given Himself up for the church (Eph 5:25). Indeed, Jesus said, "I will build My church" (Matt 16:18). And we, apparently, are comfortable telling Him, "You go with that. You walk there; we won't. You give Yourself up for her; we don't have the time or the inclination. You build it; we won't come."

Paul wrote of the Body of Christ and our gifting by the Spirit, "To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good" (1 Cor 12:7). "That's okay, Paul," we seem to reply. "I'll keep it for myself." "But," Paul protests, "the eye cannot say to the hand, 'I have no need of you,' nor again the head to the feet, 'I have no need of you'" (1 Cor 12:21). Paul said that the gifts are given "to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Eph 4:12-13). And we nod and say, "That's fine for you. I can be more spiritual in my living room, thanks."

Hebrews tells us, "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near" (Heb 10:23-25). Today we see growing numbers of self-identified Christians who see no value in the confession of our hope, in stirring one another to love and good works, or in not neglecting to meet together. We're much smarter than that. We're much more spiritual than that. We've figured it all out. We now know how to love God and the brethren in a vacuum. So who is fooling whom?