This was in USA Today:

Our churches are dying. To reach Gen Z, faith leaders must get back to the basics.

If religious leaders do not make some serious adjustments, 20 years from now a whole lot of church buildings are going to be restaurants.

Read in USA TODAY: https://apple.news/Aj0Zji2nNT-WmI8OlY06SoA

I believe Hilliard is right about almost every observation made.  And, I note what Hilliard describes as desirable is a good description of the Episcopal Church.  We are what Hilliard believes the Church needs to become.  

Hilliard wants the Church to ordain women.  (We've been doing it since 1976)

Hilliard wants the Church to address issues like poverty, trafficking, health care, education, addiction and other moral issue that warrant our concern. (Check out the Episcopal Public Policy Network)

My quibble with Hilliard (and it is a quibble) is with the assumption that if you are 25 years old and not going to worship services on Sunday, you will never be going to worship services on Sunday.  

It is true that our parishes are full of senior citizens on Sunday mornings.  But, it is also true that I (and everyone else) is getting older every day.  We replace those senior citizens who are dying with predictable regularity.

The "Baby Boomer" generation was large (hence the name).  Generations behind the "Boomers" are smaller.  There will be decline in the days to come, but it is not because 25 year olds are not attending worship services.  And, for Episcopalians (who are doing everything Hilliard says we all should be doing) it will not be due to climate change denial or gender (or sexual) discrimination.

Some decline is due to all the items Hilliard notes and all the changes Hilliard advocates are correct.  But, some decline is just demographics.

 Some thoughts on Holy Week

If you grew up as a Baptist (like I did), you may find it helpful to think of Holy Week in the Episcopal Church as a "Revival Meeting" in a Baptist Church. 

Growing up, the congregation of my childhood would annually host a revival. The event was to (as the name implies) revive one's faith.

Revivals often followed a pattern. Worship services were held every day for a week (or two sometimes). The themes would change from day to day. I could always count on a sermon on a particular topic on a specific night. And, we prepared. The preparation also meant anticipation. Several weeks before the revival, we would pray that we would be revived and that God would rekindle our faith.

Holy Week in the Episcopal Church is similar in that there are multiple worship services. And each night has a particular theme. And we prepare for Holy Week.

We begin our preparation with Ash Wednesday. Then, for 40 days (the season of Lent), we "get ready."

Holy Week in the Episcopal Church is a little like a week-long spiritual retreat. (Except you get to sleep in your bed.) It is a time for you to focus on God.

Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday. We will remember the triumphant procession of Jesus into Jerusalem, and we will retell the passion story (Palm Sunday is also known as Passion Sunday).

On Wednesday evening of Holy Week at St. John's, a special liturgy called Tenebrae is prayed. The liturgy is a meditation on the final three days of the life of Jesus. It is very different from anything else we do liturgically at St. John's, and we only pray this liturgy once a year.

Thursday of Holy Week is Maundy Thursday. We recall Jesus washing the disciples' feet, and we remember the institution of the Lord's Supper (Holy Eucharist). On Thursday, we remember the Last Supper.

Friday of Holy Week is Good Friday. On Friday, we remember the crucifixion and the death of Christ. We read the passion narrative from John's gospel each year.

We do all this in preparation for the Great Vigil of Easter on Saturday after sunset. The Great Vigil of Easter is the central act of worship in the Episcopal Church. At St John's, the vigil begins at 8:00 p.m. Every Sunday after that is a little Easter. The Great Vigil is the worship experience we have been preparing for, starting with Ash Wednesday. The Great Vigil is the climax of Holy Week, and experiencing the liturgy of the Great Vigil of Easter is to have a religious experience that revives your soul.

Do you feel the need for a revival of your spiritual life? Do you feel the need for a spiritual retreat? If so, I encourage you to observe Holy Week this year.

Preparation begins on Ash Wednesday.