We are having two bathrooms renovated on the top floor of our house. This means that in the early hours of the morning, the cost of the evening’s fluid intake is either abdominal agony or a trek through an obstacle course of sleeping dogs, cats, vacuum cleaner hoses – which become oddly animated at night – and furniture which has shifted position so that you stub your toe as you pass it.
As in the case of all renovations, everything is behind, things are forgotten, the workers are pulled off your job to pacify other agitated customers and everyone is frustrated. The person in charge is a Muslim; he is a decent fellow and is doing his best to get things done. This afternoon he was supposed to bring over some of that sticky stuff that Canadians use to fill holes in walls, so that the person doing the work could complete at least one of the bathrooms.
The person doing the work told me in hushed tones that the “mud” – I was tempted to say wattle and daub – would not be coming because the person in charge had gone to the Mosque to pray, even though this was a repeat performance that was bound to make me less than happy. So we have another delay and no bathrooms for the weekend; I am about to search ebay for chamber pots.
Now to the point: how many Christians are willing to inconvenience themselves, annoy people who might want them to do something else and jeopardise their livelihood because, on Sunday, nothing is more important than the public worship of God?
Instead, we are constantly looking for ways to make our services more appealing – not just to the unchurched, but to Christians so we can get them to show up. Shorter services, shorter sermons, more modern music, less modern music, services later in the day, Fresh Expressions, softer pews, coffee before and after: you name it, we’re willing to try it.
The truth is, Christians don’t take their faith seriously; I suspect it’s because they don’t really believe it’s true. Muslims do take their faith seriously; I suspect it’s because they really believe it’s true.
That’s why Christendom is doomed.
You are old, tired, and crotchety by your own admission and if you really think that Chritendom is doomed you can add mistaken.
Matthew 16:18 Jesus said to Peter…………
When the Church takes a beating unlike you at tennis she will always rise again,to face all comers young and old because the One who hold centre court always wins in The End.
It’s Christendom – the collection of what used to be Christian countries – that’s doomed, not the Church. Actually, since Christianity no longer has any say in the affairs of nations, Christendom has already given up the ghost.
I suspect that as Christians in the West become more ostracised and persecuted, the Church will be reinvigorated since the only Christians who remain will those who do take their faith seriously.
and to think I will be working on Sunday………….again