Christianity is in trouble. Many main-line churches are closing their doors and others are struggling to hold on. Congregations and coffers are rapidly diminishing. Church headquarters are in an uproar. Jobs are being cut and programs slashed. The time when joining a church was the proper thing to do is long gone. What are we to do?

One thing we must not do is what is being suggested by too many of the frightened faithful...panic. Out of such hysteria have come some of the most insipid of ideas. The most stupid of the lot has us throwing out our Christian identity in the hope, I suppose, of fooling folk into thinking we're not really a church at all but a pleasant country club or recreational center.

Some of the most "successful" churches now have theaters rather than sanctuaries, entertainment rather than worship and absolutely no evidence anywhere of a cross. Hear me when I say that such activity is not wrong, not evil, not bad, but what does it have to do with following Jesus? As I understand scripture, the disciples were committed to anything but the easy life. To be a follower of Jesus meant a radical new way of living that centered on sacrifice rather than self-indulgence.

The kinds of ideas coming out of frightened church headquarters often would have us setting aside scriptural evidence for programming pragmatics. Do whatever needs to be done to get the people through the doors. If they want a rock band wailing love songs to Jesus...give it to 'em. If they want to be able to eat donuts and coffee in the house of God...hire another janitor. If carrying a cross is too depressing for them...pass out lollipops instead. Anything in order to fill those empty pews.

But why? Why are we really worried about the empty sanctuaries and pitiful offerings? I suspect it has less to do with fervent spirituality and far more with job security. Sometimes I think that Matthew's injunction in 28:19 reveals more a love for power and prestige than people.

We all know well-meaning parents who spoil their kids rotten. What is intended as good turns out to be very, very bad. Hiding the realities of the world with over-indulgence results not only in spoiled brats but lousy citizens. The same goes for Christianity. Hiding the fundamental call of Christ to pick up a cross serves only to create something spiritually false and patently unholy. Not to put too fine a point on it...we create congregations of spoiled brats rather than committed disciples.

The time has come to put aside our pagan belief in immortality and reaffirm our faith in the resurrection. Everyone and everything will die. That includes me, you and even some churches. Perhaps the time has come for Christianity as well. Rather than trying to pump life into ecclesiastical corpses why not let them rest in peace? Why not rest in the very crux of our Christian faith...out of death comes new life?