Dancing with Myself

If today's church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century.
Martin Luther King Jr.

I've struggled with this issue for a long time.  How did we move from the powerful first-century church with its miraculous signs, incredible growth, and willingness for self-sacrifice to the modern church of the western world that has lost most of its impact on both society at large and its own members?  Far too many early Christians were tortured and killed and yet refused to renounce their faith; far too few American Christians are actively witnessing to their unsaved friends and neighbors.  Why not?  Because it's uncomfortable.  We don't want to be seen as judgmental, bigoted, or 'too religious'.

Does the church have a significant effect on society anymore; or has society had a much more significant effect on the church?  Try listening to a group of worshippers after a typical church service.  Certainly, some of the conversations are about the Lord or the recently concluded service, but many (or maybe even most of them) will sound like a typical secular conversation.   “Where are we going for lunch?”  “How is work?”  “Did you see American Idol?”   I myself am particularly guilty of this secularization of the mind.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — His good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:2

I often find myself wishing I knew God's will, but Paul said I need to renew my mind before I can “test and approve what God’s will is”.  Now, how do I do this?  I am very much concerned with the things of this world.  I am depressed by job-hunting; I worry about money.  I read the Bible nearly every day.  I've read through the entire Bible once this year and I plan to finish it again by the end of this year.  And yet, my mind doesn't seem much different.  I still struggle with many of the same issues I have struggled with for many years.

What is the solution then?  Prayer, lots of it.  Reading God's word is essential, but it is through prayer that we communicate directly with God.  Also, we shouldn't attempt to follow God in a vacuum.  We aren't alone on this earth, we have been given fellow Christians to both assist and be assisted by as we make our way through this life.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another —and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:24-25

This is what we have been called to do; this is how we renew our minds and find God's will.