The problem is that you can draw a large crowd by doing that, but making the leap from “attendee” to “disciple” is very difficult - as the very things that shape Christian discipleship (tradition, theology, discipline) are downplayed by the very system that was set up to people in.

It is a delicate balance to maintain the continuity and discontinuity of the Testaments. On the one hand, we are sons of Abraham when we share in the same faith that he had. And yet, there is a significant difference between us and him because of the dividing line of the cross. In fact, this difference is so significant that Paul could even speak of faith coming at a definite point in history (Gal. 3:23-25). I think his use of the word “faith” there refers to the objective reality, or “the faith” that comes from Christ and of which Christ is the object. In that sense, it is actually the fulfillment of Abraham’s faith in the promise of God.

Before you do that, read this: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1344505/posts

Re franchised churches: This sounds like something only a TV raised generation would like. I suspect (based on my admittedly limited experience with black churches) that this is primarily an upper class white people thing.

That article is encouraging on so many levels, I don’t even know where to start. God is great! It’s so easy for me to look at what I have or haven’t “done for God” and start feeling like a failure. God has His own timing and purposes. Plus, I’m studying at Covenant, too (MA in Theology, not MDiv), so this was cool to see. Thanks for sharing that.

Gustavo asked: is it impossible or extremely improbable that these seeker-sensitive churches would/could be strong theologically?

I suspect that the answer is yes, it is virtually impossible for seeker-sensitive churches to have a meaningful theology. I would like the Internet Monk’s thoughts on that matter.

Once I visited such a church for Sunday morning worship service. The place was packed. Instead of a sermon, the pastor spoke for 45 minutes on how to avoid credit card debt. This was the second part in a five part series on finances, complete with workbooks and a powerpoint presentation.

Now I am all for fiscal responsibility, but I can’t see how this was worshipping God. We *need* to worship God. That is our first and foremost need, even if we don’t always recognize it.

God help us all.

This sort of thing irritates me, because churches use it as a selling point. “Come to our church and get _______!” I’m quasi-Catholic, and the parish I attend provides coffee and donuts every Sunday after mass, but I strongly doubt that is what draws people in… we go because that’s what we’ve been forced to do since we were children, even though now we are all spiritually dead

The mountains have changed since my dad abandoned Mingo County, with an unstoppable brain drain that included him and all his peers. America has increasingly become a meritocracy, where the rich are the smarter people. No, it’s not 100% but you are much more likely to find smart people who have money than you would 50 years ago. There’s no money to be made in Clay County, so almost every grad who can leave does. In my dad’s day, a lot of smart people didn’t have high school diplomas. That’s changed. Them thats got, get and them thats don’t, don’t even get to keep what they had.

That’s probably the reason that the answer to your question (”Should I just accept that Clay County Kentucky is the wrong place for me to think about a literate, intelligent, Reformed Christianity?”) is “Probably” if by “think” you mean have anyone to talk to or live through it with you. You can think about it alone, of course.

The chances of you even having someone in the county that’s in your league is pretty small. Sorry, but that’s how it is.

Come to think of it, this dynamic probably explains of lot of what’s going on in churches, too.