It used to be that the church was the pillar of the Faith and steadily stood for absolutes and immovable values that served as salt and light in society at large. When Jesus called us salt and light, his point was that we are to bring a different flavor to society by intentional application. When He said that we are to be light, intentional application is the only way to actualize the light. That's why He said that we can't hide the light under a 'bushel' because light without intentional application is ineffectual and irrelevant. I believe that the church today has become, to a very large degree, ineffectual in the application of salt and light. We've done this because we've flirted with the world and invited the "world" into the church to "salt and light" US instead of the other way around. The "world" has been intentionally applied to the church and has made the church very impotent in its very mission! The current ecclesiastical culture is so impotent as to be without passion and conviction about Truth in general. Postmodernism has infiltrated the church with a rabid relativism. In short, we have ultimately lost our way. While preachers of old(notice I didn't say OLD preachers!) spoke with conviction, today's preachers speak with political correctedness. Pragmatism(the idol of the methodological) has superceded "Book, Chapter, and Verse" in discerning purpose. No longer is "Is it the Truth?" the first question qualifying methodlogy. Instead, the operative question is, "Does it Work?". If the church is to again to salt and light we have got to get back to the basics. First, we are created in God's Image for the purpose of glorifying Him. We are NOT here on earth to create God in our image and thus create a system of thought and philosophy congruent to our own feelings or desires. I once had an individual accuse me of "condemning their Catholic parents". In actuality, such condemnation never occurred. The real issue? Biblical Truth and the Holy Spirit were convicting that indivdual and, instead of coming face to face with Truth, the individual chose rather to blame the messenger and the message. Second, we have got to bring conviction about Truth back to the church. Now, I'm not talking about "strong feelings" but true Biblical conviction that is based upon the Bible as the ONLY objectively reliable source for Truth! It doesn't matter what "I" feel in essence. What matters is that "He" said it in His Word, and, as some used to say, "The Bible Says It, I Believe It, and That Settles It!" I would add an addendum to this, too. "The Bible Says It, I Believe It, and That Settles It, No matter how I FEEL!". Third, We must begin again to model "conviction" with our youth today. James Dobson said something I've never forgotten: "Peer pressure is good, but only when the peer group is a Christian peer group. Peer dependence is ALWAYS counterproductive, because, a youth's true dependence should be with Dad and Mom!" This simply means that every family must choose to adhere to and promote Godly convictions and discipleship with their kids at home! The schools have become too surrogate in parenting. And, you may not believe me when I say this, but I believe the church can contribute to this, too! Some churches have taken the 'youth ministry' role way too seriously! Let's face it...God made parents the FIRST AND ONLY TRUE YOUTH MINISTERS! Youth Ministers should never, ever become 'surrogate' in their role as youth disciplers. Instead, they should become servants and partners with the REAL youth ministers, the parents of youth. .......God help us to recapture what true salt and light we should be in our society. Forgive us as the Bride of Christ flirting with another 'man'....current culture.