KellyK

“Churches in North America began to define success by measuring growth, emphasizing size and numbers over traditional signs of spiritual fruitfulness and biblical holiness.”
― Winfield Bevins, Ever Ancient, Ever New: The Allure of Liturgy for a New Generation

“While writers and speakers are telling you that you need to search your heart for the root of bitterness, which they call unforgiveness, they allow the real roots of bitterness, the self-exalters in positions of authority, to gain more and more ascendancy. Wolves can come in— not only the ones that wear sheep’s clothing— but even some who wear shepherd’s clothing.”
― Rebecca Davis, Untwisting Scriptures That Were Used to Tie You Up, Gag You, and Tangle Your Mind

“The pragmatic consumerism that has infected the church leads us to value the elements of our faith and practice that are most “relevant” to us today. For example, many contemporary churches play worship music that echoes secular pop songs, and we’ve designed our church buildings to look like Walmarts or movie theaters, neglecting theologically informed architectural designs that were once popular in church buildings and sanctuaries. Young adults sense intuitively that today’s churches have lost a vision for aesthetic beauty that encourages us to experience the mystery and transcendence of God. And they have grown tired of shallow, alternative approaches to the historic liturgical practices of past centuries. Young adults want more. They want depth and mystery, and they aren’t afraid to say it. They are harboring a longing for a church that transcends any single culture, not an approach that simply accommodates the surrounding culture.”
― Winfield Bevins, Ever Ancient, Ever New: The Allure of Liturgy for a New Generation

“Today many young people are searching for truth that has been tested and tried, truth that acknowledges the holistic nature of the human person—addressing the heart, soul, mind, and body. Many are searching for this truth by looking not to the future but to the past. Looking beyond the modern age, they are looking to the premodern roots of our history.”
― Winfield Bevins, Ever Ancient, Ever New: The Allure of Liturgy for a New Generation