. . . airlines and churches have the same problem. Possible extinction.

Ministry in Boise, Idaho had gone very well. Over fifty local leaders met to explore a region-wide initiative of prayer-care-share evangelism. Their network of pastors and servant ministry leaders had long-ago embarked on the journey of collaboration and they had developed deep relationships as a result of being partners in showing and telling the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the citizens of their communities. These previous efforts had only served to increase their hunger for more; more process than programs

My shuttle ride to the airport the next morning afforded me an opportunity to give thanks to Christ for His faithful work in and through His Church. It also granted me a few moments to wonder upon what He will accomplish in the coming months and years as His people pursue a prayer-care-share lifestyle; what will be the impact on the culture of "church"?

This tranquil state-of-mind didn't last long. The pilot's announcement "we have a minor mechanical problem," turned into a canceled flight. The "minor mechanical problem" required specialized mechanics who needed to be flown in from Denver, which just happened to be our destination.  With my original flight canceled, I would be unable to catch my flight from Denver to Chicago, my hometown. Well, I made it home only six hours later than expected by flying to Chicago (east) through San Francisco (west). My checked bag (they hadn't started charging for one bag yet) had the best deal; it was flown direct from Boise to Chicago.

Long lines. Canceled flights. Flying west to travel east. Double-digit price increases. Surcharges replacing services. Stressed out attendants and cranky counter agents (I'm still smarting from the scolding I received from one of them for not standing in the correct line!). Lost baggage (They sent me to San Francisco but my checked bag to Denver).

Am I looking for sympathy? No, but I am concerned my less-than-satisfying experience with the airline is a picture of the church. A legacy institution struggling to survive in a changing culture. The airlines, along with the automobile industry and daily newspapers, are not merely in a down-turn financial cycle, they are fighting for their lives. United. Ford, Tribune. Familiar names that are in danger of extinction because they have been too slow (and unwilling) to adjust to the radical changes in our culture. Their tried-and-true approach to servicing customers, offering fuel efficient vehicles, retaining advertisers. has become increasingly ineffective in the 21st century. And don't get me started about the original three legacy television networks (losing millions of viewers every year).

So what?
Replace "legacy" with "traditional" and you've got none other than 80 per cent of today''s Christian congregations. Churches more concerned with retaining their comfortable 20th century (or 19th century, in many cases) culture than creating a compelling community of Christ-followers rooted in first century scripture.

    "If the Church has any hope of answering today's challenges, it must pursue what we call radical Christianity or orthodoxy." Charles W. Colson and Harold Fickett, The Faith

So what does that have to do with prayer?

We are in desperate need of visionary prayer leaders. Men and women, young and old, who turn the inward praying church outward; a personal-need praying church public; a country club prayer list church inside-out. Church prayer ministries content with status quo praying will neither impact the community nor influence those who shape the culture.

Prayer is not about prayer. It's about the result of those prayers. "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done" is our Lord's way of reminding us our conversations, individual and corporate, with God are more about the Father's plans and purposes than our pains and problems.

I wonder how long I will have the option of flying an airline called United or watching a car commercial for Ford or reading a newspaper called the Chicago Tribune. Will they survive the culture changes by changing their corporate culture? Will they be able to celebrate their proud legacy while reaching for a new destiny?

It seems to me airlines and churches have the same problem. Possible extinction.

Pastor Phil