Read this quote on facebook today:

"Church attendance is infected with a malaise of conditional loyalty which has produced an army of… hitchhikers. The hitchhiker's thumb says, "You buy the car, pay for repairs and upkeep and insurance, fill the car with gas – and I'll ride with you. But if you have an accident, you are on your own! And I'll probably s...ue.

So it is with the credo of so many of today's church attenders: "You go to... the meetings and serve on the boards, committees, leadership, you grapple with the issues and do the work of the church and pay the bills – and I'll come along for the ride. But if things do not suit me, I'll complain and bail out--my thumb is always out for a better ride."

Kent Hughes
Disciplines of a Godly Man, p. 165

I totally agree that this is a good illustration of many people we see in the church today! The American 'consumerism' mindset is constantly bomb-barding the Church. I heard one pastor describe church as 'parade' but I think the hitchhiker analogy is even better. There is so little loyalty and commitment to churches today, and at times, this reality really weighs me down as I know it does most pastors.  I just don't understand it on a heart level. How can people be so calous when it comes to caring about God's church?

Studies show that the Christian Church is dying in the US. More and more churches are closing their doors every day for good. More and more pastors are getting burned out and leaving the ministry (there's a shortage right now!).

I just heard a story this week about a local church closing their doors and I suppose that's why it's on my mind.  It makes me very sad. It's sooo extremely hard to maintain or grow a church in this day and age. So many people now believe they can be a Christian and not go to church and I wonder, what if God's church just disappears in the US in the near future? Studies show it is happening!

All these people who say; 'someday, I will go back to church!' Well, what if, when someday comes, there is no church to go back too? 

A day of reckoning will come for all of us and Christ will ask: "What did you do to build my Church?" How will we answer?

Peace in Christ Alone!