The United States of America is in trouble. And so is the church. It was this twofold belief that moved more than 200,000 Christians to come to the nation's capital April 28-29 for the Washington for Jesus (WFJ) rally. And while the crowd was much smaller than the one million expected by WFJ leaders, it was one of the largest rallies ever held here.
During the two days of singing, praying, preaching, and marching, church leader after leader drove home a consistent, four-point message:
1) we are in bad straits;
2) we must seek God;
3) we should repent; and
4) then righteousness shall return.
In its bare-bones form, this approach to reading and responding to the signs of the times is clearly a biblically established method. But if scriptural soundness is to be preserved in putting flesh on this skeletal framework, a careful analysis of both the specifics of the gospel and of our historical moment must be made. Evidence of this discernment is what I looked for as I moved in and among the events of Washington for Jesus.
Many WFJ speakers assailed the backslidden condition of the church.To heavy applause, they spoke in anguish of the "many preachers who have failed to take a strong stand for the Word of God." While there were few specifics mentioned, there was an obviously common feeling that the church was abandoning its vision.
Very few Christians will disagree with the claim thatthechurch intheU.S. is in deep trouble. The lack of vision and vitality is crippling its life and witness. Faithful discipleship and evangelism have too often succumbed to the values of the culture.
Similarly, sermon after sermon asserted that America is in trouble. Very few people, Christian and non-Christian alike, could disagree with the general claim that the U.S. has major problems today. The dividing question, however, is exactly what the problems are.
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