Cam' Corder

Back in May I wrote to you that summer can be a dangerous time of the year for us spiritually.  Sometimes in the summer we tend to “drift” away from church, prayer, Bible study, and Christian service.  We “take a break” and “take some time off.”  A recent survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life discovered that many Christians “just gradually drift away” from their faith and the practice of their faith.  It was thought that many people were dropping out due to disillusionment with denominational policies and practices, but apparently this is not as great of a factor as it was once believed.  It was also thought that people were becoming a-religious, but this is not the case either.  People who have drifted away have maintained a surprising openness to spiritual matters and belief, they just no longer practice these in an institutional, and often, personal setting.  One suggestion that has been forwarded is that our new life of increased work hours, two-earner families, and other pressures of life are leaving people exhausted and forlorn about much of their life experience.  The pace of life and trying to just “fit everything in” has left people putting their “religiosity on pause.”

The study claims that many who drift away and become unaffiliated or relatively inactive for now, desire to get back in and get re-involved with this aspect of their lives.

So often our intentions of “getting back in” or becoming involved again are just that.  I have been the minister of this church for 23 years now.  There is a couple in the church, who for 23 years have told me that they are going to get serious about their faith activities, yet they never have, and I do not believe they ever will.  In what is often becoming a very frustrating and frantic lifestyle and life pace we need to make a decision to reverse our life trend and reconnect with God on a higher and deeper level.  I have found that one cannot do this in isolation from others.  We really do need each other and the idea of the Church is, in large part, to help each other advance spiritually, to take care of each other as we confront the trials and tribulations of this world, and to witness Jesus Christ. 

Summertime is dangerous because so often we just drift away.  Often people having drifted away just stay away.  We need to be intentional to reverse course and sail back in!

Cordially,

Cam