I’m curious about people. Maybe sometimes nosy. I want to know what others think. I’m not always sure what I think about a particular issue, but even at that, I like to see what polls say other people think. I don't mean all those political polls. I mean regular life stuff and church stuff. What do other people think? So, I recently visited the Barna website, which I often do in the beginning months of the year to see what they have to say about the year just ended. Sure enough, they had a summary of their top releases of 2023.

Here are a few bits from my study of their site.

On the negative side, Barna reports, “The share of practicing Christians has nearly dropped in half since 2000.” That sounds pretty bad. But they go on to suggest, “Though the trajectory of Christian commitment in the U.S. has been on a downward slide and is in need of urgent interventions, our new data give Christian leaders cause for hope.”

Curiosity about Jesus among teens is high.
A desire to grow spiritually is high across all generations.
Jesus also does well, with a high percentage of people saying they have a high opinion of both Jesus and the Bible.

So far so good. Until I come to this:

Our data on the rising spiritual openness in America reveals a tremendous opportunity for faith leaders. The challenge facing the Church is whether they are ready and able to meet the spiritually open—where they are, as they are. “The work of Christians is to embody Jesus—full of truth and grace—and reflect his image in all they say and do,” says David Kinnaman, CEO of Barna Group. “The data shows they too often fall short.”

The website reports that the church is viewed much less favorably than either Jesus, the Bible or the hunger for spiritual growth. In some ways, there’s no surprise there. I love the church, but even I might rank the church at large in a less positive light than the Savior and his Word.

Still, we could do better, and I like to tell myself that College Church is doing better than churches who make their way into the news media. Our biggest press coverage ever was when that tornadic storm bent one of our steeples like it was a toothpick. May that be the only time College Church ends up on the front page of a newspaper.

God uses people to accomplish things on earth, so I’d like to think the polling about church could go a little higher. Or at least that a survey in our community would see our churches in a more positive light.

These kinds of questions and answers have been around for a lot longer than most people realize. In an attempt to better understand the trends of the times and shared felt needs, imagine a recent archeological effort uncovered an ancient artifact. Here are some translated highlights.

Congratulations on crossing the threshold into the knowledge of good and evil. Please take just a few quick minutes to answer our three-question survey so we can better understand what you have just experienced.

1. Describe how you felt after biting into the fruit:

A. Relief that I’m not dead. I guess the serpent was right after all.

B. Don’t look at me; it’s his/her fault.

C. I’m in a mood and it’s not good. That’s new at least.

2. What did you think when you became aware of good and evil?

A. Evil is a concept that I can overcome, but good is everywhere.

B. Now it’s up to me and a healthy dose of self-care.

C. I wondered where all the dandelions came from overnight.

3. What about, you know, the naked thing?

A. I’m comfortable in my designer fig leaves, no problem.

B. I said to myself, “Does this come in black?”

C. I do my best not to think about it. We have a world to run. So, let’s get on with it.

Surveys are valid and helpful, but I can’t help thinking that when we look at ourselves and each other, we’re missing out. We're looking at the wrong place. There are other things to survey.

I lift up my eyes to the hills.

From where does my help come?

My help comes from the LORD,

who made heaven and earth. (Psalm 121:1, 2)

So much time and energy spent on analyzing ourselves and one another, not just in surveys, but in the media—print, blogs, podcasts, our Christian media. Real help comes when we lift our eyes up and survey the hills.

Survey the hill Isaac walked up with the dry wood strapped to his back.
Survey the holy-ground hill where Moses removed his shoes.
Survey the hill where the cross stood. Survey the hill where the tomb was empty.
Survey the hill where Jesus ascended into heaven, and the people stood looking up at the sky until an angel told them to snap out of it.

How can we turn our eyes from the manifold expressions and study of humanity to the wonders of God himself, our beautiful Maker, Savior, Shepherd, Rescuer, Friend?

We don’t deserve his love, yet here it is, ever present, deeper, richer, fuller complete. How can we devote ourselves and our time more fully to him? Consider God’s love. Just take the time, even if just a few moments, to stop and think, not about self or nation or world. Where do our hearts focus? Consider today this suggestion from John Owen.

“…if your heart is taken up with the Father’s love as the chief property of his nature, it cannot help but choose to be overpowered, conquered, embraced by him. This, if anything, will arouse our desire to make our eternal home with God. If the love of a father will not make a child delight in him, what will? So do this: set your thoughts on the eternal love of the Father and see if your heart is not aroused to delight in him. Sit down for a while at this delightful spring of living water and you will soon find its streams sweet and delightful. You who used to run from God will not now be able, even for a second, to keep at any distance from him.”