American, ELCA. We're hearing plenty of proclamations of the death of the Church here in the USA. These dire - or elated - predictions tend to ignore the fact that people generally ignore religion and church in their 20s through 40s, returning in their 50s and 60s. Millenials are nearing middleage and may start trickling back, possibly replacing the Boomers who are starting to die off, or even exceeding them. (My own generation, Gen X, is too small to make a significant difference.) Churches might regain much of their lost numbers.

Or not. But from where I sit, it doesn't look like what gets called "Christianity" has much to do with anything Jesus taught. If a huge mass of right-wing, mega-church capitalists want to leave the Church, and take their guns, homophobia and misogyny with them, I'll be glad to see them go.

Jesus preached a way of life that is incompatible with having a "successful" life according to modern standards. He instructed His followers to put other peoples' needs ahead of their own, to care for the poor and outcast and to be ready to die for the faith. As His follwers, we should be on the edges, not striving for material gain, ministering to anyone who needs our help.

I do see and hear a lot of younger pastors and deacons saying these things. It gives me a lot of hope.