Loyalty Worth Hanging On To

What’s the biggest change our culture has experienced over the past 40 years?

You can make a case for the explosion of technology, the decline of civility, the collapse of communism, the ascent of terrorism, the rise and fall of Britney Spears, or the spread of a pervasive “me-first” attitude in a majority of society’s members.

From my perspective as a church leader, I think the most compelling change since 1978 is the death of institutional loyalty. The church, in fact, happens to be a prime example.

Generations of Americans churchgoers were guided by a few simple principles. Worship locally. Virtually everyone lived within three miles of the local church (which happened to be roughly the distance they were willing to walk on a rainy Sunday morning). Brand loyalty. Once a Catholic, always a Catholic. Born a Methodist, die a Methodist. Hang in there. Even if you could barely stand your current priest or pastor, another one would probably come along before the next presidential election. Commitment was more important than comfort.

How things have changed! Loyalty to local congregations has now become negotiable – as has loyalty to the local hardware store, beauty shop, restaurant, and movie theater. The freedom provided by General Motors has gradually eliminated what used to be called the neighborhood church.

A “good sermon” is now 100% the responsibility of the preacher. We can thank television for that. Pastors had an unspoken covenant with the congregation: “I will do my very best to keep your attention. You do your best to listen.” That arrangement was shattered by the convenience of holding a remote control capable of changing anything remotely uninteresting at home, and by exposing church members to nationally known preachers who make their local pastor seem…well…not ready for prime time. It’s safe to say that most clergy don’t have hair as amazing as Joel Osteen’s.

Twenty-first century churches are expected to follow the path blazed by shopping malls, museums, and network news shows: We should be entertaining. Actually, the word is edu-taining. “Please entertain me while you teach me something I need to know.”

Ecclesiastical brand loyalty has relentlessly slipped away. Today’s churchgoers are far more interested in being spiritually fed, or enjoying outstanding programming for their children or teenagers, than signing off on a denominational creed. “Church shopping,” once comparatively rare, is now the preoccupation of up to 20% of American worshippers.

I don’t find such observations discouraging. The audience for God’s good news, after all, has always been a moving target. Contemporary culture waits for no one. But deep inside the human heart there are hopes and dreams that never change. People want to know Truth with a capital T. They yearn to be part of a movement that cares, and that will call out their very best efforts to make a difference. In a world that veers toward cynicism, young people especially seek some unmoving basis for hope.

During the 40 years that I’ve hung around church, I’ve noticed a growing hunger for spiritual vitality. “Challenge me to be a 24/7 disciple of Jesus, not just a two-hour-a-week student of religion.” Spiritually inquiring minds want to know: Is there life before death? How can an ordinary person change the world, right here and right now?

Institutional loyalty may be fading. But it’s impossible to overlook an incurable interest in Christ-loyalty. Church may seem boring, but Jesus is endlessly fascinating. Take him at his word: A practical commitment to Jesus’ agenda for life is something that in 40 years or 4,000 years will never go out of style. It’s a loyalty worth hanging on to.