Simon Peter said, “You’re the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus came back, “God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn’t get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am. And now I’m going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out. Matthew 16:16-18 (The Message)
I saw an article in the paper today that church attendance is down to 30% participation by the U.S. population. In prior decades, going back into the 1960’s that percentage was around 40-45% in most decades. However, in the past decade, partly due to the effects of COVID-19, that percentage fell significantly, and now stands at around 30%.
COVID of course took a big toll on church attendance, but so also did the unhappy marriage of religion and politics. Younger people see that as politics becomes more intertwined with religion, both institutions suffer.
Church attendance for a group of believers is more than just a Sunday exercise. The bond that comes from social and spiritual interactions is healthy in every way to the human spirit. From a mental health standpoint, I typically encourage church attendance for my clients as a way to become part of a movement that is larger than ourself. Involvement in a church is good for both mind and spirit.
I am not really worried about the sustained existence of the “capital C” Church. The Church will prevail because God said that it would- it will just look a bit different in future decades. In the meantime, we need to remember that participation in church is healthy, and that even though it looks different these days, the Church will survive.
Prayer: Lord, bless your Church so that it can bless others, Amen
Reflections of a Counselor 