Spiritual but not Religious

A question I have been struggling with lately is, "How do we (as a church) reach out to those who are spiritual but not religious?" In one of my curious moments I logged onto facebook and typed that question on my status. I'm used to getting 2-3 responses on a status I post but was overwhelmed when I quickly received 14 responses.

Three of the people who responded are fellow leaders in the church who also struggle with that question. The rest were from those who label themselves, "spiritual but not religious." Their responses varied with how they experience God. Some wanted to gather together with a beer and go fishing while others thought it would be great to burn some incense while feeling the rhythm of a drum circle.

As a Christian community it is clear to me that this is an important question. One friend even said maybe the question is, "How do we outreach in an American post-secular society?" One where people see the church as an establishment full of hypocrisy and are turned off by the religion-in-your-face attitude.

Even Jesus saw problems with "the establishment". He walked into the temple and turned over tables (Mk. 11:15). Jesus calls out the people in the temple by saying, "'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? But you have made it a den of robbers" (Mk. 11:17).

Yet, we also learn that the temple is important in scriptures. Jesus as a child is found sitting on the steps of the temple learning from the teachers, listening and asking them questions (Lk. 2:46). Later, Jesus teaches in the temple.

Sure the church is full of hypocrisy; we are human and like to make things about us and not God. Yet, the church is a living, breathing entity of people who long to be closer to their creator and who want to support, love, and encourage one another in their spirituality. So, how do we as Christians begin to change the assumptions in this world about the church?