Thursday, June 27, 2013

Words to Ponder...on the decline of the Church

Words to Ponder... The Decline of the Church ... 

In the Gospel Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. (Matt. 28:19-20).” 
Christ commanded the disciples to make new disciples.  It was not a choice it was a command.  However, today’s world is very different, so how we respond is also different then it was for the first disciples.  Paul for example traveled throughout the known world making use of every means of transportation and communications available in the first century to make disciples.  He walked roads and traveled the waterways by boat to spread the Good News to anyone who would listen. He wrote letters to various communities sharing the teachings of Jesus.
If Paul lived today I imagine he would be using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram as well as every possible means of communications to share the teachings of Jesus to the known world.  He would also be sending ministry teams to all know parts of the world to share the gospel and to baptize new disciples in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. To do otherwise would be to ignore Jesus’ command.
The world is different today, so does this ‘difference’ excuse Christians from obeying Jesus’ command?  In a world of billions does Jesus still expect us to travel across the globe to baptize all people? I believe the answer is yes; I also believe Christians today should walk across the street to share the stories of Jesus.   
I confess that I love the church, not just the people that make up the church, but also the institution that is the United Methodist Church.  I believe the United Methodist Church stands on solid ground with a message of hope and love that is true to the Gospel teachings that can make a difference in the 21st century. In the first century Jesus started the church with twelve men and those twelve men shared the Gospel story with all who would listen. In every generation that followed churches formed and grew when men and women shared the story of hope in Jesus Christ with others.
I believe the church today is declining because “so called disciples” have stopped sharing the story of hope in Jesus Christ with their neighbors. They have stopped walking across the street to share the Good News.  We the people of the United Methodist Church have a story to tell the nations as well as those who live across the street, which is the Good News of Jesus Christ. Words to ponder...
In Christian Love, pastor and friend in Christ, Ed


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