Regular worship attendance in America has always been a minority event, with the exception of a few years in the mid-20th century. The whole idea that we were such a religious place when we were formed is a fallacy – most historians estimate that about 17% of the people living in the colonies attended worship regularly, which is not too far below what it is now. Still, it is disheartening to all of us in faith communities to see how religious practices have changed over the last 50-ish years. My parents were an interesting mixture – my mom was a ticked off Catholic and my dad was an atheist/agnostic; and yet, they made sure we kids went to Sunday school, church, and youth group. Despite their reservations about organized religion, they still believed that we would gain valuable life lessons from being part of the church. I know that having those foundational teachings made a difference in my life, regardless of how imperfect the messengers were.
In recent decades, more and more families have chosen to not connect with spiritual/faith communities. I don’t know how much those families spend on those kinds of things in the home, but if they aren’t doing Bible studies and prayer time as a family, it is unlikely their children are getting much in the way of faith instruction. Many families are choosing to attend mega-churches, believing that those communities will provide what is needed – and maybe they are. The few I have attended offer little more than playtime and entertainment, which are fine in small doses, but not necessarily the kind of spiritual lessons that help us make it through hard times. The majority of parents have allowed their children to steer the boat, choosing sports over spirituality. I think this has left kids spiritually unmoored.
Could this be part of our present problems in this culture? I don’t presume to promote the idea that things used to be much better – in many ways, America has always been less than good. There were, I think, some aspects of the common culture that have diminished, and it seems to me that we could do better. And no – not with prayer in schools or the 10 commandments on classroom walls. We weren’t all that moral when kids said the Lord’s Prayer and read the 23rd Psalm in homeroom. Maybe – and this is absolute conjecture – we have raised a couple of generations of spiritually unmoored people who have little to no connection with morality and faith. They might be spiritual but not religious, but that doesn’t go very far. I don’t know the answer, but I feel like the way we are living now isn’t it. For me, and throughout history, being a healthy person has been about being focused on nurturing the mind, body, and spirit. Without that combination, we are lacking the tools for a good life. It isn’t too late to start a comeback, though; we just need to make the commitment.
Prayer – Holy God, You made us to be connected to You and each other in healthy ways. Give us the courage to make that happen. Amen.
Today’s art is “Body, Mind, Spirit” by Olesea Arts.