I don’t think people are really less interested in God. There is a difference in what kind of God they are interested in.
It is interesting that thirty years ago if you went to church you went at least three times a month. Now above average attendance is some where around twice.
If it were just church experiencing these trends it would be one thing. But the fact is every aspect of our society fights with and more so everyday the fluidity of devotion, let’s call it. In other words our attention to important things floats and is being stretched.
I am sure the real issue is we have so much more to pay attention to. This truth has increased even the last five years.
Churches used to compete with one another but right now the grab for attention is coming at us from all sides. You know what I mean!!!
We now have email, twitter, Facebook, ipad, kindle and an endless list of new stuff to pay attention to. Video games. New computer programs. iphones. Watching our budgets is an attention point these days. And it can be significant. Our desire to make up for crowded weeks with intense weekends with kids is understandable. Blended families cause far more challenges (not obstacles) as well. Life just plain gets complex sometimes. So many things fight to occupy our time.
There are over 30 major fast food stores now. The number of purchasing sites on the internet are beyond counting. There are now 200 plus and growing TV shows you can sign up for.
And everything is getting very specialized.
We are so busy that word of mouth communication is coming back in power again. We in some ways are finding one another. I work in books a lot and it is a fact that the New York Times best seller books are usually set up and rigged. The real sales are coming from word of mouth. We just don’t have enough attention span to go around for everyone’s lists for us. So we rely on one another.
I was sitting in a meeting this week via phone conferencing and felt claustrophobic. There were so many opportunities and issues being thrust my direction my stomach almost hurt.
Our whole culture sometimes feels like we have a massive case of ADD.
I honestly believe that to grow spiritually and stay healthy we have to take control of what we give attention to.
Most churches are reporting shifts in all measurements of church life in all directions. Some would say we are doomed. I don’t. I think we are in a crisis of attention. And this includes education, business, politics, true spirituality and all the above.
Don’t get lost in my comments about church attendance stuff. The big point is that you and your family are in a war. The war is the fight for your attention. We have limited amounts of attention available. And the way things are going there is a huge competition being focused on your energy and time.
My encouragement as I write is to be in control of what get’s your attention. And make certain Jesus stays the Lord and Focus of what you give time and attention to.
