Insanity & a dying church.

Einstein is noted as saying, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting results." I wonder how this same philosophy can be applied to the church? What is the church doing over and over again yet expecting different results? It doesn’t matter what context one comes from in attempting to address this issue the question is still challenging to all of us. What behaviors, patterns, understandings, or beliefs are we repeating expecting different results? I don’t think it matters if it is the mainline or evangelical, if the church repeats certain behaviors or "histories" and expects different results it is acting insane according to Einstein’s definition.

Just back from a church conference dealing with pastoral issues like conflict resolution in a congregational development context. I am exhausted, but this thought came to me this morning. Sometimes we try to change by doing the same thing over and over only with different language, labels, or packages without raising or changing our level consciousness.

Insanity: Unsoundness of mind sufficient in the judgment.
Consciousness: sense of one's personal or collective identity, especially the complex of attitudes, beliefs, and sensitivities held by or considered characteristic of an individual or a group.