The room is dark, not completely dark, just dark enough to set a reflective mood. Circular tables are set-up with typical banquet style chairs, the ones that hurt after about 60 minutes of constant sitting. A large stage is 50 feet in front of me and on stage is a cardboard sign that says 'The Road Ahead.' To my left is an old mobile home with lawn chairs set on top with a few brave souls sitting in them. Music blasts. Screens Flash. And people of all shapes, sizes, and ages file in. The faces of these people tell it all.

A male in his 20's has a look on his face as though he just got kissed for the first time by the girl he has been pursuing for years. A woman probably in her 50's sits at a table reading anything that is set in front of her, desperately trying to figure out what she got herself into. A dad and his 15 year old son walk by me and I hear the son say to his dad, "Dad, this is awesome, this is what I was trying to tell you about." The dad doesn't respond, instead he walks bewildered to a table and sits down. A few moments later an attractive looking male with a crew cut walks by holding the hand of a woman, presumably his girlfriend/fiancee/wife. He leans over to her and says, "This is ridiculous, this looks like a freak show." She smiles back and they decide to turn around and leave.

My people watching ends and I am drawn to the large cardboard sign on the stage "The Road Ahead." I can't get this line out of my head, yet something inside me freaks out. I ask myself the question, "is this really the road ahead?

I leave as well, not out of annoyance but more for curiosity. You see, upstairs there are 1500 pastors. 1500 PASTORS! This room, with these 1500 pastors, is set-up entirely different. The foam padded chairs are in perfectly straight rows with aisles. There are stage lights and one screen showing what is coming up next. Most of these pastors are wearing button downs with khakis and carrying briefcases or leather binders. I look around and see similar faces to the ones I saw in the basement. Some look scared, others looked annoyed, and still others engulfed with the moment.

The seminar ends and the elevator is the next main attraction. As I wait in line a pastor notices my name badge, which is different than his. He says in a cynical tone, "ahh, you are with the young lads in the basement huh?" I respond gracefully, completely ignoring his comment, "Hi, my name's Joel and I'm from Mars Hill Graduate School in Seattle Washington. I see that you are from North Carolina." He responds, "yup, I am I pastor a church over there that is growing by leaps and bounds so they sent me hear to get re-energized." "How gracious of them." I say, as the conversation comes to a close. I wonder what this pastor was thinking of me? Was he even aware that I love the same Church he does? Or was he simply labeling me as "the other." One that is unlike him and that difference, quite possibly, scared him.

This is the day that we live in -- a divided day, a tense day, and a very mysterious day These snapshots are the church culture in America in the year 2005. People are confused by what to do. It appears as though the modern church is dying and the fact that we live in a post-Christian America has sent the Church into some sort of tailspin. We are fighting the wrong fights, we are clinching at cornerstones that aren't really cornerstones (the pseudo-cornerstones of Christendom) – and in all of it we are still missing the reality that people are hurting. Even the people that claim to have it figured out are hurting, desperately. We live in a culture that is divided and lonely. Our modern technological devices of cell phones, text messaging, camera phones, and instant messaging have caused a schism in relationship that has resulted in people becoming a "screen name" a "handle" or worse -- objects that are objectified. The "I --It" reality is large. Dr. Phil, the man with all the answers, is releasing a book every month on how to live life. This is scary, and more importantly it speaks to where people are at. People want to be connected, people want to have a better life. And what is the Church offering? Now don't get me wrong, there are churches out there that are doing amazing things to advance the revolution that Jesus started 2000 years ago, but collectively the Church is falling behind.

We, the Church, are the hope of the world.

peace
joel