Well I finished the book. Sort of. I got through all the analytic chapters, but didn't read the final "here's how to fix it" chapter. And I don't think I will, either.
For one thing, most of the material in the book is stuff I already believed. I didn't know just how ineffective mass evangelism is, and I thought I was the only one who finds church a poor place to satisfy spiritual longings or answer spiritual questions, but in general unChristian just confirmed a lot of the material I already was thinking.
So why won't I read the chapter about fixing everything? It seems pointless. Honestly. I'm one guy, totally outside the power structure, and with no prospect of actually getting anything done. When I teach my classes, I try to portray Christianity in a positive light, but on the church level I'm a nobody.
Jared and I were talking the other day about how to set things right if we were in charge of the church. It was a little sad. We knew that even on the most minor level—getting a more frequent church dinner schedule or finding a way for younger people to begin learning leadership skills—we're totally powerless. So if I want a church that does things better, the answer is to move to a different one.
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