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Irreligious: Forsaking Religion and Finding Jesus’ God (Mk. 12:18-27)

Chris Altrock – August 1, 2010

 

Over the past few days I’ve practiced what I call the “ministry of presence” among the LaVelle family.  When a young person like Liz dies, there few words worth speaking.  The very best we can do is just be present with each other.  And as I’ve tried to be present I’ve overheard numerous people saying the same thing over and over.  As they’ve thought of the hurt and pain that comes in the midst of the death of a young person like Liz, they’ve said, “I just don’t know how people make it through times like these without God and without the church.”  They’ve been testifying that times of tragedy reveal that there is nothing comparable to following Jesus, there is something indispensible about following Jesus.  You can’t make it through those times without that “thing” that only comes through following Jesus.

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Irreligious: Forsaking Religion and Finding Jesus’ Authority (Mk. 11:27-33) Chris Altrock – July 18, 2010

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Annie Dillard is a popular U. S. author.[i] When Dillard was a teen she attended church services regularly.  But one day she quit.  She couldn’t stand the hypocrisy of some of the church members who came on Sunday mornings just to show off their clothes.  So that morning, Dillard met with the assistant minister to officially quit church.  Dillard recalls, “He heard me out and then said, ‘You’re right, honey, there is a lot of hypocrisy.’” Then he handed Dillard some books by C.S. Lewis, a respected author who wrote thoughtfully about Jesus and the Christian faith.  The minister asked Dillard to read Lewis’ books, explaining, “This is rather early of you to be quitting the church.  I suppose you’ll be back soon.”  He was right. After Dillard plowed through four of the C. S. Lewis volumes, she returned.  Her rebellion lasted just one month.

Read More »Irreligious: Forsaking Religion and Finding Jesus’ Authority (Mk. 11:27-33) Chris Altrock – July 18, 2010

Revolution: Five Missional Turns Churches Can Make in a Changing Culture to Lead People to Faith

Chris Altrock – Highland Church of Christ – Memphis, TN

Summer Celebration – Lipscomb University – July, 2010

 

 

In a recent article for Christianity Today Ed Stetzer surveyed multiple studies of the Christian faith in America and then provided these concluding thoughts:[1] “Mainline denominations are no longer bleeding; they are hemorrhaging. Increasingly, they are simply managing their decline. For evangelicals, the picture is better, but only in comparison to the mainline churches. Southern Baptists, composing the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S., have apparently peaked and are trending toward decline. The same is true of most evangelical denominations…. There is little doubt in my mind that the cultural expression of Christianity in America is declining. True, Christianity is losing its “home-field advantage” in North America.” There is little doubt that Christianity in America is facing significant challenges and that fewer Americans are embracing the Christian faith.

 

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