The Spiritual Malaise of the 21st Century American Christian

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Something is wrong with American Christianity.

I hear it in the voices of new converts who spout more Maslow and Jung than quote Paul or Moses. I see it in the posture of those who have been with Christ a long time, but have grown weary and are dying for a fresh wind of the Spirit.

On Sundays, I hear it in the message (don’t call it a “sermon”!) as the pastor preaches about how God can make your every dream come true. I read it in the Bible study materials that make it plain that Jesus just wants to be our buddy. I partake of it in the worship in which we sing songs so vague they fall into the “God is my boyfriend” trap. And the worship band that a couple years ago sounded like The Lettermen sounds more like Led Zeppelin as they noodle incessantly with arrangements.

I see it in the rush to technique, Total Quality Management, demographic studies, felt needs analysis, doing but not being, and one throwaway Christian book after another supposedly written by a name pastor (but actually ghostwritten) who is helming the hottest church out there (today. Tomorrow it will be someone else.)

Conformity reigns. Any five churches are strangely similar to each other in all aspects of church life. We are all “seeker sensitive,” “purpose-driven,” “wild at heart,” and “culturally relevant.”

And we are deader than dead spiritually.

Ask any Christian you find today if they know Christ. Then ask them to define what “know” means and how that plays out in their lives.Then ask them to explain the plan of salvation and give a half dozen verses that can illustrate that plan. The response will surprise anyone who grew up in the faith pre-1990’s.

It’s frightening and should anger thinking Christians. We have settled for a form of godliness that ultimately does not know God at all.

Cerulean Sanctum is here to be an oasis for those who are reeling from the abandonment of traditional Christian practice and faith to the bankrupt versions we have so quickly rushed to adopt. It is a problem that afflicts every denomination, every theology, and most everyone sitting in the pews. But all is not lost. We hope to find answers and grow deeper in true discipleship under the tutelage of the Spirit of Christ, going back to what is true and lasting, while exposing the spiritual decay that is so prevalent today.

All are welcome. Come and join us!