Chuck DeGroat wrote a post on “scandal” where he was asked what the worst scandal he had seen in his years of work. Like any of us, he thought of “big name” pastors or “big name” churches. Singular events that caused quite a stir. I certainly can look back in my lifetime and think of the “biggies” attached to my former denomination or in the TV evangelist world.

He decided to go a different way:

The slow, widespread collapse of the way of Jesus into a form of religiosity that chose the way of power, relevance, supremacy, control, and wealth. Within a corrupted ecosystem like this, human scandals are not only possible but predictable.

I remember someone telling me recently that a writer named Phyllis Tickle said there was major reform every 500 years in the church. We are at that inflection point right now. Yet, I agree with DeGroat on this further extension of Tickle’s observation:

But this one feels different. Despite significant calls to spiritual, moral, ecclesial, and systemic reckoning and reform, we’ve witnessed an evangelical doubling-down—an overt rejection of critiques of racial injustice, spiritual and sexual abuse, ecclesial and political power with its entrenched and self-serving structures, and more.

Let me give one example from my former denomination. This past summer at their national meeting they gave a report in their missions organization and recognized there were people who reported being harmed by bad leadership on the field. They then gave a very brief report with the summary that new policy was in place and all would be fixed. No details. Just a one minute assurance.

When the report was finished the delegation present gave them a standing ovation. Thirty years ago, if that same report had been given, someone from the floor would have motioned that business be stopped and prayer be given for the wrong committed by this organization. Prayer would have ensued. People would have gone to their knees and prayed in tears spontaneously. It would have taken up at least 30 minutes of business.

This time? A standing ovation for the leadership that promised essentially nothing.

And now the denomination is in the limelight again as they face a lawsuit in Texas over their college campus ministry and allowing sexual abuse to go on for years. No calls for repentance. Just doubling down over and over with court filings and objections and delays. The national leader of the denomination called all of it a “hiccup.” Bad leadership is a “hiccup?”

I think we have the upheaval part right with the observation that the Church goes through reformation every 500 years. I am not sure we are to the reformation part yet. This one does indeed feel different.

No repentance. Doubling down. Calling major issues “hiccups.”

Where has repentance gone?

DeGroat’s compelling question is this:

Why isn’t the more beautiful way of Jesus compelling to us?

We are being formed by something other than the way of Jesus. We are more hungry for power. We are easily angered by false flag issues.

A week ago I preached a difficult message and gave personal testimony about overcoming barriers to loving people in certain groups. Afterward I have had marvelous conversations with people who confess their struggles. In many cases, they have deep fear about certain groups mainly out of misinformation from media and social media. They are being formed by fear.

Our formation has come from other places and the current American Church has allowed that fear to drive their teaching. We are losing the way of Christ.

What is the way forward? Is this time of upheaval going to lead us to a new reformation? Can we once again find the way of Christ, hunger for the way of Christ, and demand that HIS way be the only way in our lives?