REVOLUTION is a call to honest Christian living, plain and simple. The issue of church decline (church with a little "c") is merely tangental to the real issue. Too many people who have reviewed this book have missed the point. Barna himself warns about this:
"Joining the Revolution does not mean forfeiting your congregational identity or church distinctives. It means acknowledging and advancing your bond with the universal Church and ratcheting up your commitment to serious Christianity. . . . Don't get sidetracked by the peripherals; focus on the devotion to God and the 24/7 lifestyle changes that drive such a ministry" (p. 136).
Barna calls all Christians--in and outside of local churches--to live as Revolutionary Christians, i.e., those who live "only to love, obey, and serve God, rejecting and overcoming every obstacle that emerges to prevent such a life" (p. 17).
He says, in essence, that if for some people the local church is more of an obstacle than a benefit to such a life before God, then as Revolutionary Christians, they will reject and overcome the lifeless ritual of their particular church attendance. He says, "They have no use for churches that play religious games, whether those games are worship services that drone on without the presence of God or ministry programs that bear no spiritual fruit" (p. 13).
In REVOLUTION, Barna is certainly not calling for a wholesale exodus from the local church. He is saying that his research leads him to believe that more and more Christians who want a living and active spiritual life with Jesus Christ and who are not finding it within a local church are going to live their Christ-centered, spiritual lives outside the church local, but never outside the Church universal. Next, he is saying that part of the connectedness that all Christians must have with other believers does not have to come from the traditional, local church setting. "Such interaction could be in a worship service or at Starbucks; it might be satisfied through a Sunday school class or a dinner in a fellow believer's home" (p. 114).
Two Caveats
I do, however, have two caveats: First, I cannot help wonder about what appeared to be Barna's own church disillusionment emerging from the pages of his book. It is one thing for Barna to see the statistics and predict the likely direction that some Christians are going, but has he gone beyond being the scientist and become a proponent for a limited exodus from local churches?
Certainly Barna has every right to champion a position that he believes is correct. But, the reader will do well to read with discernment "Barna the scientist" and "Barna the subscriber." As just one example: When Barna says, "Expect [as part of this revolution] children to be taken more seriously as spiritual beings" (p. 105), is that a prediction from "Barna the scientist" or a desired-end from "Barna the subscriber"?
Let me hasten to add, however, that being a subscriber does not mean that he is wrong or that his arguments are not valid; it is just a distinction that I wish he'd been more clear with in his book. After all, I am a subscriber to Christianity; that does not then make my logical arguments for Christianity invalid.
There are many statements in this book that have a predictive quality, and most often it is easy to discern the scientist from the subscriber, but not always. My uncertainty (albeit minor) limits me in conversations about this topic because I do not know if I should say, "Barna says that we can expect thus and so," or if I should say, "Barna desires thus and so." I suspect (and felt) that Barna's passion for this topic inhibited him from making a stark distinction between "Barna the scientist" and "Barna the subscriber." Not that there's anything wrong with that.
The second caveat is that not all Christians who leave the local church are revolutionaries. Some are simply backslidden. Barna is not ignorant of this fact. He mentions this in passing in chapter one. However, I think that had he addressed this problem even moderately, the book would have been more balanced and helpful.
REVOLUTION is not a big book, but it is jam packed with good and thought-provoking information. Barna has his finger on the pulse of the church and where we are headed as a society. He has some interesting--and revolutionary--ideas about where the church is going over the next 20 years, and each of us, in one way or another, will be affected by it.
Therefore, it is important for each of us to know what this Revolution is (going to be). And, it is important for each of us to know what part God wants us to play in the coming Revolution.
Personally, I see myself as part of the coming Revolution while being attached to a local body of believers, i.e., church (little "c"). I understand that no church is perfect, but then no parachurch organization or quasi-assembly of believers is perfect either. I have a friend who is "out of the local church" who has opted for "a loose-knit fellowship with others believers on an irregular basis." OK . . . but there will be problems there as well.
What will be the coming Revolution? What should your place be in it? This book is a great place to start finding the answers.
====== A Reader Responds:
Harry Spring writes:
Ric,
I have not read the book, however I attend Church regularly and visit with a lot of people regarding worship and relationships with Jesus or the lack of relationship.
My average joe opinion: There are a lot of “dead” churches.
1. Pastors can lead a Church, but it is the laity that must get off their butt and invite the unchurched to Church, Sunday school and bible studies. Most importantly, show a Christian example of how to live.
2. Knowing you don’t have to be perfect but authentic and transparent in your faith.
3. Take off the bib and put on the apron. We are here to serve.
I know individuals who have almost single handedly turned their Church around. They listened to God, followed Him and they put on their apron. It’s not easy but, authentic service is contagious!!!
Times and people have changed and ways of learning have changed. Churches that are bold and keep up with their environment will continue to grow. Our First United Methodist Church of Ardmore listened to the laity’s request for a ”contemporary” service. We started with a Wednesday evening quasi-contemporary service (band, lots of singing, sermonette, film clips, etc) Started with 20 to 30 in attendance. Now it is regularly 150 to 200. Attendance did not decrease from our regular services, we are reaching new people. I know because they are the ones who hands go up. Pretty good for a Methodist !
Jesus asked us to go and spread His word. This implies an action be taken on our part. Christiananity is not passive but reactive. Jesus, Paul, Peter etc have all warned us about the false teachers. It up to us to have a BS detector and not drink the Kool-Aid. His sheep know Him.
Thank you for your coffee talk and the chance to ramble.
Maybe the author needs to realign his thoughts and priorities.
Are we strong enough to defend our faith? I think we will get to answer this question in our life time.
Harry Spring
Interesting note, my spell ck has Kool-Aid, but not Christianity.
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