Member-only story
The Churchgoing Bust: An Opportunity for Churches and Leaders
THE title of this essay is borrowed from an e-mail I recently received as a 1991 Master of Arts in Theology graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA. I am writing to share from my first-person historical narrative some significant reasons that lie at the heart of the ossification of Christianity in the USA AND AROUND THE WORLD.
BEFORE I reveal the reasons, let’s define and discuss the word ossification and why I think it is the best word to describe what other essayists in 2024 might refer to as the death of Christianity/death of God or other more click-bait-worthy terms in our digital age.
1. a : the natural process of bone formation b : the hardening (as of muscular tissue) into a bony substance 2. a mass or particle of ossified tissue. 3. a tendency toward or state of being molded into a rigid, conventional, sterile, or unimaginative condition
It is important to note that abnormal bone formation can have causes that aren’t due to underlying disease. Examples include aging. From a sacred text (“Holy Bible”) perspective, there are at least 4 references to bones. These are the ones I want for this conversation and your contemplation:
