Losing our Religion

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29585222/?GT1=43001

According to a AP article published on the MSNBC website, the number of Americans who claim a religion is on the decline.  What does this mean?  As Christians, an article like this can send us into a deep depression.  I start to ask myself what we, the Church, are doing wrong.  Or are we doing anything wrong at all?  America's slide into a post-Christian status makes many of us uncomfortable, but we are quick to forget that it is God who is in charge.  What we get out of this information is that we can't depend on the status quo to keep the Church alive.  Religion has never been the point of everything we do a church though, the point is to spread the Gospel.  So if we are to take this bitter news and turn it around to see the new found opportunities, I guess we can hope for progress.  However, it isn't going to be an easy transition for the current generation or next generations to switch to a new approach to presenting the Christian faith to others.  Those growing pains will be met with even more distrust and animosity than there is right now in our Church.  My pray, however, is to prepare ourselves for battle and develop new strategies so that we can always have a reason for the hope that we have in Jesus Christ, and so we can express those reasons in gentleness and respect.  Be a witness to what Christ has done for you.