The most important thing you can do right now for America

It has nothing to do with the inauguration

Today is inauguration day. I, for one, am immensely grateful to see the bizarre and backwards four years we call the Biden Administration come to an end. Almost everything it was promised to be, it turned out to be the opposite. Beyond that, I’m cautiously optimistic that the new Trump term will result in the dismantling of at least some of the entrenched bureaucracy.

BUT, for believers, I think it’s critical that we not get carried away with hope in the hands of men. That is, we can’t assume a new president is going to solve the problems or dramatically improve the culture around us. In fact, I think it’s likely he will exacerbate the cultural divide.

So then, what is the most important thing we can do? Let me talk a minute about that. Stick with me as I set it up.

I’ve never met her, and yet I feel like I have. Somehow, someway – a way and how I will chalk up to divine providence – I happened across the thoughts of a self-professing Christian woman named Joy, who was detailing her guidelines and recommendations for those who, like her, are searching for a new church home.

The reason that I say I feel like I’ve met her is because it would take me more than a couple hands to count the number of emails I’ve received over the course of the last few years from people wanting to know the top things they should look for (or sometimes the “red flags” they should be cautious of) when finding a place to worship. What struck me as I read Joy’s list is just how different her checklist was from the one I’ve given.

I want to share with you what she said, along with my own thoughts. But before I do, let me stress that I don’t think Joy is a nut by any stretch of the imagination. I have no reason to doubt that she is exactly what she proclaims on her social media bio tag: “a woman who loves Jesus and his word, and wants better for his church.”

As I perused her other posts, I found myself often nodding in agreement at some of her fair and legitimate observations about the current state of “Christendom” in the United States. For instance, she wrote:

So many churches with staff like “production director” or “director of weekend experience,” I wonder — is the US evangelical “church” more like a cruise ship? The goal is to have an uplifting, frictionless experience: Smoothly produced entertainment, a concierge to greet & guide you (because you’re a “guest” or “VIP”), a variety of interesting programs & activities to choose from, and — free child care! AND the kids will have a good time (the staffers there are young and fun and plan great games) How much of “church” is just consumer culture?

While I could be persuaded that hers is an uncharitable take towards some faithful Christians, I can’t disagree that somewhere along the line it seems that many of the country’s churches lost the plot. Desperate to establish an impressive “outreach,” many have forgotten the axiom that “what we win them with is what we win them to.”

So, that’s what I’m saying. I take Joy at her word when she says she is earnestly wanting better for the church of Christ and the Kingdom of God here on earth. Which is why I was somewhat unsettled with her published list of “top 3 immediate ‘nopes’ when looking at church websites.” In other words, these were the three red flags she looked for to know that a church congregation wasn’t worth her time visiting or even contemplate joining: