http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/07/27/why-millennials-are-leaving-the-church/
The author, Rachel Held Evans, is an author and regular contributor to the ongoing discussion about faith and gaps between generations. I've heard her name in different conversations, but this is the most high-profile piece of her material that I've encountered.
While I appreciate her critique of the church, after reading her post, I felt like something was left unsaid. Of course, that's always the case - especially in the world of blogging, instant-messaging, and Twitter-feuds. I wouldn't characterize her language or approach as 'feudal,' but it did garner a lot of attention, particularly from millenial Christians (full disclosure: techincally, I straddle both Generation X and the Millenial generation, but I'm not proud of that or anything... :) ) in my Facebook news feed.
A pastor I know personally and also respect deeply is Richard Dahlstrom, senior pastor of Bethany Community Church in Seattle. He taught my final seminary class on preaching, and I've been deeply impacted by his approach to preaching and ministry. He wrote a blog in response to Evans' blog, which is linked below.
http://bodysoulspiritlife.com/2013/07/29/rearranging-the-chairs-a-response-to-rachel-held-evans/
Because he published his response a few days after her post, Richard (in a sense) 'gets the last word.' Regardless, I think his critiques and affirmations are valid. [Sidebar: It's interesting to see this kind of conversation develop online, and I feel a little bit of my skeptical heart melting toward the importance of having these dialogues happen in an e-format and still be effective.]
Hope you enjoy both perspectives.
Solo Dei gloria,
Travis
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