There has been a flurry of articles again this week regarding changes occurring with Americans religious beliefs.  In some ways, the news is not really "new" - these are similar findings to studies that have come out in the past couple of years:  more people are having no meaningful identification with a religious denomination or faith system.   This has hit Catholic and mainline Christian denominations hardest, while more contemporary and/or non-denominational type churches are seeing slight growth.   That said, the biggest religious group affliation (if you can call it that) is "no religious affiliation". 

In some ways, this is discouraging news, but as I think about it further, I wonder if some of it isn't good news.  Here's what I mean:  for many years, there has been a huge disconnect between people's religious affiliation and their religious practice.   Basically, calling themselves religiously connected, but not having that connection be significantly shaping in their lives.  In some ways, I wonder if these recent studies are just more accurate about what people's actual beliefs are... in that people are being more forward about faith/religion not informing their lives in a significant way - basically closing the gap between religious affiliation and religious practice.  I don't think that is the whole story, but is maybe part of it.

But how is that good news?  I think the place where spiritual growth starts is in acknowledging where we are actually at with God.  I think it's a better thing for someone to acknowledge that faith/religion is not meaningful to them at this point in their life.  I think that actually opens up a greater potential for real encounter with God.  That person is not going to do something religious just for show.  The only way that they will open up to faith is if something actually real happens with them.  I believe that is a scenario that God loves to enter into, and to show Himself to be real and relevant in surprising ways.  That is our hope at Two Rivers, as well... that we can facilitate real connections with God and with faith and life - connections that significantly shape our lives in a posititve, Christ-like direction.  

Here is the USA today article that talks about the recent studies.  I'm sure if you google this topic you'll find a bunch more articles.  

http://usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-03-09-american-religion-ARIS_N.htm