How Did We Get Here?

I ran across an interesting article today. The article opened with this statement. "I once heard a church-growth consultant remark, "most churches are not rejected, they are ignored." Church buildings are on every corner it seems, but if you are among the unchurched, it matters little to you, unless you get caught in a traffic jam as services let out. Few churches today are proactive. They are more like "fall out shelters" where the members come to escape the constant bombardment of sin. Once service is over we rush to our cars, stop by our favorite restaurant, usually with other members, and we always sit in the non-smoking section. We don’t want to get to close to those of the world lest something rub off on us. We notice those who are not dressed in church clothes and feel sorry for them. But that is about as far as it goes. I wonder to myself sometimes, "How did we get here?" How could we have lost that evangelist spirit? How could we have become so complacent toward people who are lost and without hope. Jesus said in the sermon on the mount, that when we lose our saltiness we become good for nothing. He also said that you don’t light a candle to hide it under a basket, (or a church building), you put it on a stand to be seen by all. I guess in some ways we have become the "underground church", not to be confused with those who do so because of persecution and fear of death. Isn’t that ironic? "Father forgive us for our timidity, we know it didn’t come from you. May your love compel us to share what wonderful things you have done for us, with those who have no hope".