A Spiritual Disease

One of the symptoms of a spiritual disease which is slowly destroying the church is not hard to diagnose.  Generally speaking more and more churches are reporting fewer and fewer baptisms each year.  When there does happen to be a need for a baptism, the worship committee (if it is a sprinkling congregation such as my own) has to find the baptismal font, dust it, sweep off the spider webs, move it to a visible place in the sanctuary, and fill it with fresh water. No one should be surprised to hear some of the younger generation asking, "What is it?  What do you do with it?"  

Every time the baptismal waters are stirred, it is a sign that some new soul has signed up to follow Christ. It is no small decision that brings a new believer to the holy waters.  My tradition says, "it is an outward sign of an inward change."  When the church gathers around the baptismal waters, it is to celebrate the birth of new creation in Christ Jesus.  It is also the moment when new blood is infused into the church and new breath is breathed into it through the power of the Holy Spirit.  

When the church becomes dependent on generational growth, or receiving new members because they are moving their membership from another congregation, it is drinking what might seem to be life giving water, but it is from a poisoned well.  A next generation church that is seriously concerned about its spiritual and theological integrity will either be filled and empowered by new believers from this generation, or it will simply know itself as a shadow of what God intended for it to be.