My blogging friend, Cindy strikes me as thoughtful and unassuming, but she is amazingly insightful and articulate. In two brief paragraphs she gave the diagnosis and prognosis for the church in America and she he did it with a rare blend of grace and truth. She courageously delivered these thoughts as a staff member to church’s senior leadership. Already her words are being borrowed by people like me.

“I think the church-centered christian life (as opposed to a Christ centered christian life) that american protestantism has created in the last few generations is what is killing the church in america. and the new generations see it for what it is- empty activity that does little besides sustain itself for more empty activity. not that nothing good happens in local churches; far from it. but the abiding culture of complacency we’ve allowed to take over so overshadows the true mission of God’s people that we risk losing it all.”

“we need corporate worship, we need corporate teaching, we need fellowship. But, we also need to get the heck out of the church building and live lives that show we care about somebody in addition to the people we worship with. we must address this corporate addiction to church that we ourselves have created. call it a church intervention, maybe. and if we succeed, the withdrawals will be ugly, angry, and very messy. If we don’t succeed, thousands of local churches just like ours will be gone in 20 years or less. I’m not even sure if that isn’t what should happen.”

“that is what i think.”