Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Unchristian: What a New Generation Really thinks about Christianity ... and Why It Matters by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons

I just finished this work that was published in 2007 this morning. It is a representation of the viewpoint of people that were born between the years of 1965 and 1983 (the 'Busters') and between 1984 and 2002 (the 'Mosaics').

Their point is the Busters and Mosaics see the church as unchristian. In Kinnaman and Lyons words, "they think Christians no longer represent what Jesus had in mind ..." (p. 15). Whether or not it was intended this is how the church has come across to these two generations. They, the Busters and Mosaics, see us (the church) as: hypocritical; too focused on converts; anti-homosexual; too sheltered; and judgemental.

The authors of Unchristian ... not only present the descriptive definitions of how we, the church, are seen by those born between 1965 and 2002, but they also give us good advice from various leaders as we seek to engage people and the world with the love of God.

This work has helped me to realize that we, Arlington United Methodist Church, are on the right road in our vision to "change the world by loving our neighbor". That is, we are directly feeding the hungry, offering the good news of Jesus in varied styles, and listening to the community as we shape our actions. But as always Kinnaman and Lyons affirms that the shaping our action through listening and loving is never complete.

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