No wonder people are unnerved...the markers have changed

Like many other church members, I have gotten used to telling if someone was a Christian by whether or not they are sitting in the pew on Sunday morning. To be honest, I am not sure that has ever been a good marker. Some of the most unchristian verbal exchanges and actions have come from those people who didn't miss a Sunday.
There is a big shock factor for people to hear, read and experience how many young adults have left the church behind. These young adults are, for the most part, spiritual seekers. But they didn't see transformation in the lives of those who raised them in church. That's a simplistic -- but important--part of the analysis. The competition for the time of people is fierce and, in the press of life, people (of all ages -- but especially young adults ) are choosing to spend their time where it makes a difference. And, for too many of them, church is not the place where they see a life-changing difference.
So the challenge for the church (and, in my opinion, the GIFT to the church) is to get up off our blessed assurance and superficial measurements and show the life-changing difference of Christ in our lives. That's a big shift -- but it shouldn't be. This shift to showing personal signs of transformation should be second nature to lives grounded in Christ.
For too long, we have let the definition of Christian to equal showing up for worship at 11:00 on Sunday morning. Those days are over (whether people realize it or not). Our younger generations are handing us an opportunity to show Christ's redemptive grace in our lives by the way we talk (or don't talk) about others, our willingness to forgive, our love of those who do us wrong and Christlike attitudes of welcome to all, healing grace and humility. Young adults are not looking to see who has perfect attendance on Sunday morning. They are looking to see who has changed lives. It's a big shift for those who are used to thinking that they took care of being a Christian by warming the pew Sunday morning at 11:00.
This is, in my opinion, a change in the right direction. Methodists have always believed that what we profess should make a visible difference in our lives. People should be able to identify us as Christians because of our love for each other, our respect for God's creation and our Christlike behavior every day of the week. If we sit in the pew every Sunday and don't have love for others, we have missed the point. And, from where I sit, way too many have been regular church attenders and have entirely missed the main point of the gospel: that we should love others the way Christ has loved us.
Don't misunderstand me. I am a big fan of people attending church. But attendance is not the same as a transformed life. Attendance at inspiring worship with a community of loving people helps us understand and receive the transforming love of Christ. I want our lost generation of young adults back in church. But the bigger picture is for the church to be the place for the redeeming, life-changing experiences for disciples of Jesus Christ. Our young adults won't come back to sit in a pew for boring worship. But I believe they will come back for a church experience that makes a difference for their difficult decisions, their attitudes toward others, the strength to forgive and heartache for life's sorrow.
We have our work cut out for us. But our goal is simply to follow Jesus fully...to get back to our Methodist roots of moving on toward perfection. If we make this change, it will be a blessing for all of us.