In a disturbing book titled, “You Lost Me”, author David Kinnaman attempts to tell the story of “Why Young Christians are Leaving Church… and Rethinking Faith”.
Kinnaman writes about “the irreverent, blunt, and often painful personal stories of young Christians— or young adults who once thought of themselves as Christians— who have left the church and sometimes the faith.”
The author goes on to explain that his book’s title is an attempt to express the voice and mindset of a generation who has developed a “disdain for one-sided communication, disconnect from formulaic faith, and discomfort with apologetics that seem disconnected from the real world. You Lost Me is about their perceptions of churches, Christianity, and culture.”
At the heart of the author’s own description of these young people is the rejection of a formulaic faith.
Looking back over the last few decades, many others have observed how much has been said, written, and repeated about how to practice the faith in order to have a happy and successful life. How to…
Yet the Bible itself seems to be full of formulas. “Seek first, the Kingdom of God,” Jesus says, “…”and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matt 6:33) Or , writes Daved, “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 73:4)
Is this spiritual math?
I’m guessing that many of us have struggled with the thought that if we do the right things, we will get the results we are looking for? Has the Bible misled us? Or have we— or our young—missed something?