The Decline of Evangelical America

   The title is from an op-ed piece in the New York Times, seen here.  John Dickerson, the author and a pastor of a relatively small church, is onto something important, although his most important point, which I'll mention below, is muddied by his insistence on perpetuating an "evangelical culture."  I part ways with him on several points, including the notion that we (Believers) can or should "refashion [our]selves."  The idea that we can fashion or refashion ourselves implies that Belivers exist as some kind of entity, like Focus on the Family or the Southern Baptist Convention.  The very existence and prominence of these two groups, and of many others, is very much a part of the problem of "evangelical culture."  In fact, the notion of "evangelical culture" is itself a problem.
   Believers should not have a marketing problem; we are not selling ourselves.  I can tell you that Jesus does not have a marketing problem, and even if we think he does, he doesn't care.  God is accepted on His merits, not on ours.  That does not mean that we shouldn't embody His merits - in fact, the whole pursuit of the Christian life is to be more like Jesus.  What it means is that Evangelicals don't save people, God does.  Jesus does.  What we do is carry His glory around, display it, walk in His power, and love everyone we possibly can.  He has called us to love, and so that is the only way we need to "fashion" ourselves.
   Mr. Dickerson reaches a proper conclusion when he writes:

"For me, the deterioration and disarray of the movement is a source of hope: hope that churches will stop angling for human power and start proclaiming the power of Christ."

   However, it is apparent from his essay that he still holds out for a movement of some kind; that he still finds an "evangelical culture" desirable.  The problem with his view - and with the view of most American evangelicals - is that we can't control the "movement" any more than we can control the Holy Spirit.  The movement of God's People is nothing unless it is His movement.  He is and has been moving, long before this election or any other one, and the imperative for all Believers is to move when, where, and how The Lord is moving.  That, my friends, is A Real Movement.