I'm pretty sure I'm a Millennial.

I don't "believe [I] will go to heaven because [I] have accepted Jesus Christ as savior,"primarily because I find that statement based on false premises, and thus largely meaningless.

I don't think I'd exactly list religion, or even God, if asked what's "really important in life." But one of the first things I think about when considering moving is leaving our Cathedral and what our "new" one would be like.

I do attend church weekly, often semi-weekly (though 7am on Weds. doesn't always happen), and on all special days.

I rarely read the Bible itself, but I often read about the Bible, or other religious/theological/theophilosophical texts.

I don't often "pray" on my own. But that's because I find its point to be the same as liturgy, worship, fellowship, and ideally everything in life (i.e. accessing the Divine Reality...whatever that is).

To the extent I find myself compelled to share the gospel, it is in the manner of St. Francis (i.e. words aren't the primary method).

I take very seriously – and literally – our Cathedral’s statement that “Wherever you are on your faith journey, St. Mark’s welcomes you.”

So with that in mind, here are some of my thoughts on this:

This Rainer character says, “The more precisely you try to measure their Christianity, the fewer you find committed to the faith." Did it really take a survey to figure that out? Like shopping for a house, the more specific requirements you have, the smaller your number of options will be. Rainer also says, "We have dumbed down what it means to be part of the church so much that it means almost nothing, even to people who already say they are part of the church." I suspect that this dumbing down has been a misguided distillation into a certain set of ultra-specifics that are rather meaningless for many of my generation. And when we associate “religion” with these specifics that have no real theological or practical import, we rather naturally feel no tie “religion.” Apparently it’s important to Rainer that "many are either mushy Christians or Christians in name only." One wonders what place these “mushy” or “name only” folks have. I suspect it is in embracing those people that churches will remain relevant to the Millennials who identify as spiritual, but not religious.

The message of this survey to Rainer and other religious leaders should be this: The “spiritual not religious” crowd is not rejecting God, nor even Jesus per se; they are rejecting you and the way you have presented God, and probably Jesus, to them. In other words, it’s not God, it’s you.

-Grant Charles Chaput

Thanks Grant -- not just millennials feel this way -- I am a "silent" and react as you do.

But see

www.emergentvillage.com

for words of hope!

Look, people believe what they need to believe. That is under no control of anyone else, and that includes the Church. I know it SUCKS to not have any control over that, but too bad. Don't take it personally, just be yourself and be the best you can be, as a community. If YOU think you're out of date, explore that, but do it because it makes a better YOU, not because you think it might give you more control over how successful you'll be at bringing in the young ones.

As I recently argued in another context (Africa, to be precise), this phenomenon on makes perfect sense to me, and I, faithful Episcopalian, even welcome it.

The key to understanding is the ever-relevant Stages of Faith by James Fowler. What we are witnessing, I believe, is the passing of the USA from a Stage 3, to a Stage 4 society.

In the Millenials, we see a cohort in which critical-thinking regarding "Conventional Religion" (in this case, Christianity) has achieved critical mass.

Why do I believe this is (ahem) Good New for TEC?

While I think our church offers something for everyone (at every "stage of faith"), it aims in forming Christians to spiritual maturity: Stage 5 (and for the saints among us---most definitely NOT including Yours Truly!---Stage 6).

In other words, our church lies on the other side, BEYOND where these critical Millenials lie. Stage 4 is an important place to be . . . but even rampant critique (and enervating cynicism) eventually runs its course.

When the Millenials are looking for Something More than "Life's a Bitch (or "Beach"), Christians are Judgemental Hypocrites, then We Die" . . . we'll still be here. Because the Episcopal Church is more than (God love us! ;-/) Episcopalians. Christ as Teacher (and Lesson), Christ as Feeder (and Food), Christ as Crucified God will LIVE ON---even if the last one called "an Episcopalian" dies off.

The Faith that synthesizes paradox will continue to call to humans as they pass through all their "stages". The Church isn't ours to lose: Christ has already won!

JC Fisher