How Does God Fit Into Our World Today?

I am wondering how this venue of communication can be helpful in understanding the Creator God of the universe?  And as I pose that question,  my mind goes to the chronologically advantaged people of today.  The people who are over the age of  65.  The ones who are wondering where in the world all the "church members" have gone. The people who have witnessed the decline of God's visible importance in our town's public logos and in our public schools.  Those who are convinced that the "world is going to hell in a hand basket".  Who believe that leaving God out has created major chaos in our nation.  That those who profess an atheist philosophy have made a statement  that our national leader have been buying into since the 60's and 70's.  In other words they place the blame on everything but their own navels -- their own ways of thinking, acting and viewing the world they now live in.

But I will suggest that the problem is much broader than they think.  That the reason that the majority of Chirstian have "fallen away" -- chosen other ways to fill their time.  Is that they have fond other ways to be loyal -- whatever that means.  Since the midsixties the church no longer was the central part of their existence.  Because, worship, as we knew, it didn't work for them any longer. All of this has not happened because people stopped believing; or stopped wondering about God.  No! It is that worship, as it has always been done, is not what the people of today want or need.  The problem is that the "church" hasn't been willing to try to understand peoples needs.  The "church" hasn't taken time to ask what it is that people are truly looking for.  They haven't actually been willing to  listen to the disconnection that has occurred. And, I will suggest that the actual drop has occurred because what the younger people want is answers. They are looking for a place to ask their questions.  They want conversation!  They want a God they can related to and have discussion about.  A God to be safe with!  And "the church"  wants their learned traditions and formal rituals to be enough!  They don't want questions they can not answer.  They want the God they have always known without question.  

And! It is not working!  

Allow me to share my imagination about when the life of God's people was full of the simple joys of faith as usual.  A time in my life was much like anyone's life who is now 65 years or older. 

Our days and weeks were something like this:  School during the week with play time after school either on the playground or someone's backyard. When the only organized activities were Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts or school athletic, or little league, practice.  A time when boardgames were the big sit-down events in our live.  In our town the big weekly events were family roller skating one Wednesday night at the local tennis courts.  With our week ends filled with high school football, basketball, baseball games, or track, on Saturday afternoons.  No night games!  No lights!  Church on Sunday with family time in the afternoon when the normal assumption was that that day was to be a God day.  

Our huge yearly event was the 49er parade; which was an all weekend affair.  With the Lyon Club bar-b-q at the Indian Wells pool, about 5 miles out of town, where everyone came to be together, swim, dance, visit and have the most devious pork that had been cook underground over night.  Nummmmmm!

Our major monthly event was dancing at The Club.  Not a country club!  But a community building where all town events took place.  There was a bowling alley downstairs with a soda fountain..

Except for those big dances at the club and high school event.  Most social, and other gatherings, were at the church.

That world is no more!

Life today has evolved into a massive conglomeration of things to entice our imaginations. And, our identities!  So much to do and chose from that there is very little time to spend on God or church things. 

So my BIG QUESTION ARE:  

Does that mean that we have stopped believing in God?  

Or, does that mean we have lost faith in God? 

My answer is No!  No! With a 'but'  quickly following. 

It has become so important to do other things that make us feel excited and passionate.  So many things to do and people to see!  No time to think or feel just go, go, go.

And God seems to be there only when we need him.  Taken for granted in the steam of life.

So, what all of this memory wondering has created in me is a need to know!  To know: how does God fit in our world today?