A Serious House: Why if Churches Fall Completely Out of Use, We May Miss Them

The church is in deep trouble, maybe in its death throes. Losing touch with
the church has meant a break with the Western cultural past, its history, its
music, its art, its literature, much of which cannot fully be understood
without its religious heritage. But something more important than any of
that is in danger of being lost.
The church is a deeply imperfect and frustrating organization, but within it,
community is experienced, values are nurtured, and God’s presence in the
world is embodied in a people. The church carries the story of Jesus; it tells
the story of who we are, it calls us to give away our lives to others and to
find love as life’s central meaning.
We have crossed a cultural divide. Before, if you did not hold traditional
religious beliefs and belonged to a church you felt obliged to explain
yourself. Now the pressure is to explain why you do. This is my answer.

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