We live in an age in which people are increasingly identifying themselves as spiritual but not religious. Two Thirds of young adults under 30 say so. That’s different than atheist.  It’s most often associated with the “nones,” those when asked which religions do you practice respond, “none of the above.”  Many of these seekers are looking for genuine experiences of God.  They’re hungry for transformational experiences of a Divine Word.  They’re thirsty for life-sustaining community life which is more than just a club or organization.  Often the critic is made (at least in the metropolitan and increasingly secularized context in which we live) that it’s easier to find God outside of church, rather than in it.

This week Morning Edition on NPR is doing a great series of interviews on just this topic.  I encourage you to listen to them (they’re each roughly 8 minutes long).   You’ll find them online here at this link.

You can also read an online article about the NONES as the third largest religion [http://www.religionnews.com/2012/12/18/unbelief-is-now-the-worlds-third-largest-religion/]

What might these thoughts and comments have to teach us about being church in the 21st century?