Do We Look More American than Christian? Part 3

The more comfortable and insulated a pastor becomes, the more comfort seeking and insulated the congregation will be.

Part 3: The Church Bubble

In America, we mostly believe that Christianity is about our comfort. You may ask: How do I know?

Because we’ve made salvation, in various subtle ways, more about “getting into Heaven one day” than about dying to yourself to follow Jesus.

Because we’ve made being the church about a once-a-week large group “experience” and not about serving and sacrificing for others.

Because we’ve made the Christian life about what Jesus can do for me and not our obedience to what Jesus taught us to do in faith.

Because we’ve created a bunker mentality where we are afraid to expose our kids to the world instead of modeling for them how to live as missionaries in it.

Follow the leader

Whether we want to admit it or not, this mentality starts with leadership. The more comfortable and insulated a pastor becomes, the more comfort seeking and insulated the congregation will be.

Here’s a question that ultimately gets to the heart of the issue for me [for those who are pastors especially]: Are you in intentional relationships with those who would never come to your church? Or any church for that matter.

This is a question of utmost importance because it gets to the heart of what it means to be Christian – or “little Christs.” If we are only in relationships that are reciprocally beneficial to us, then we aren’t being like Christ (Romans 5:10; 1 Peter 2:24-25).

It is interesting how Jesus spent his time on earth. Have you ever thought about it really? Especially when you compare it to the routines, schedules, and expectations we have, and even set, for most modern American pastors and church people.

Jesus was consistent in 3 things: (1) His own personal time with God, (2) His highly-relational time with those closest to Him, and (3) His time among the people of His day. You know what He literally never seemed to spend time doing? Preparing for large gatherings of followers [read: “church people”].

Bubble People

This last thought is particularly interesting to me considering how the entire “life of the church” today, in your typical church, is centered solely upon gatherings of “church people” (usually in a “church building”).

When did such a shift happen? And why are American Christians seemingly so obsessed with large gatherings of people in buildings that they own? (You could argue it started with the commandeering of Christianity by the Romans – but that’s another post for another day…)

“The Church Bubble” is a real thing. And a real problem.

Pastors find themselves in it.

Church people find themselves perpetuating it.

And ultimately it works against the spread of God’s Kingdom on earth because it funnels everything not thru the model of Jesus, but thru the model of western (Americanized) organizational structures – which are widely based on human governments or businesses.

I believe the reason the priorities of the leaders of a church community are so important is that they ultimately determine the direction that community will take in fulfilling the Great Commission.

If the leaders are: (1) following Jesus’ priorities of spending time on their own relationship with God, (2) creating highly-relational contexts with those closest to them, and (3) then living in intentional relationships with those in the community who do not themselves know Jesus (yet) – I think we could reasonably expect the entire church community is more likely to follow that lead.

Why? Because they are seeing it consistently modeled and taught.

This Lent, and moving forward, may we seek to change these behaviors so that we might actually reach the most “unchurched” & “dechurched” generation in the history of America so far.

I will close with this corporate confession:
Merciful God,
we confess that we have not loved you with our whole heart.
We have failed to be an obedient church.
We have not done your will,
we have broken your law,
we have rebelled against your love,
we have not loved our neighbors,
and we have not heard the cry of the needy.
Forgive us, we pray.
Free us for joyful obedience,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Read the Rest of Series

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7

Do We Look More American than Christian? Part 2

Part 2: Christian Celebrity

This past decade the death of cultural Christianity accelerated rapidly.

Statistically, the church is in decline, and most of that is evidence of the death of a version of Christianity where people merely attended for social reasons.
*see Barna’s statistics on Christianity.

While some are concerned by these trends, I think it’s a healthy thing for genuine Christianity to reemerge and for people to no longer put on a show or merely have “a form of godliness but denying its power” (Timothy 3:5). American Christianity for too long has suffered from being commandeered by the culture for its purposes. Though some forms of cultural Christianity are holding on for now (like in the political arena), they likely will soon die too as people no longer see Christianity as a viable way to gain public approval.

My hope for the next decade is this: The death of Christian celebrity.

We reap what we sow

The Christian celebrity culture has been an infection in the American Church. It is antithetical to Paul’s critique of the church in Corinthians: “When one of you says, ‘I am a follower of Paul,’ and another says, ‘I follow Apollos,’ aren’t you acting just like people of the world?” (1 Corinthians 3:4). It has molded and shaped pastors, churches, and denominations to be attention seekers, fame grabbers, and ultimately has resulted in the “cover-up culture” we are now reaping the results of [eg., Mark Discoll, Bill Hybels, the cover up of abuse in Southern Baptist churches, etc.].

Lest you think it’s only a “big church” problem – small churches fall prey to treating their leaders as celebrities too. In fact, the first “fall from grace” I had first-hand experience with was as a part of a church of less than 100 who treated the pastor like he was untouchable.

Ultimately the Christian celebrity culture is antithetical to the Gospel.

Seeking the biggest stage.

Publishing a New York Times bestseller.

Having your new worship song trend on iTunes.

Being an influencer on social media.

Garnering the largest financial support.

Being in a context where no one questions you and you are surrounded by “Yes Men.”

These are the things that Hollywood, Washington, D.C., and Silicon Valley value. Not Jesus. And such a reality being normalized in the Church is detrimental to the work of the Gospel in the life of the person celebritized (yes, I may have just made up a word) and ultimately in the life of the people buying into their celebrity status as well.

The Bible is clear that the fruit of Christian celebrity is: immaturity, the appearance of godliness, dead religion, self-righteousness, and self-promotion (also called “conceit” [ESV]; vainglory [KJV], “empty conceit” [NASB], “vanity” [NET]). The very things Jesus hated most about the leaders of His people when he walked the earth.

Self-inflicted wounds

The harshest part of the reality of Christian celebrity culture is this: We created it.

You and me.

The people of the church.

We are buying what they’re selling us and thus perpetuating a reality that is ultimately harmful.

We are promoting Christian celebrities, willingly placing ourselves under their teaching, and giving our support to the very things Christ warned His people against.

Instead, we should be focused on the downward trajectory of humility Christ displayed for us and we are called to imitate [Philippians 2:1-11]. Willing to die to our own selfish ambition and take on the holy ambition of Jesus laying our lives down that He might lift us up.

So, this Lent, may we hear the words of Jesus afresh as we pray for the death of Christian celebrity culture both in our hearts and in the American Church:

Matthew 23 (Message version)

Now Jesus turned to address his disciples, along with the crowd that had gathered with them. “The religion scholars and Pharisees are competent teachers in God’s Law. You won’t go wrong in following their teachings on Moses. But be careful about following them. They talk a good line, but they don’t live it. They don’t take it into their hearts and live it out in their behavior. It’s all spit-and-polish veneer.
“Instead of giving you God’s Law as food and drink by which you can banquet on God, they package it in bundles of rules, loading you down like pack animals. They seem to take pleasure in watching you stagger under these loads, and wouldn’t think of lifting a finger to help. Their lives are perpetual fashion shows, embroidered prayer shawls one day and flowery prayers the next. They love to sit at the head table at church dinners, basking in the most prominent positions, preening in the radiance of public flattery, receiving honorary degrees, and getting called ‘Doctor’ and ‘Reverend.’
“Don’t let people do that to you, put you on a pedestal like that. You all have a single Teacher, and you are all classmates. Don’t set people up as experts over your life, letting them tell you what to do. Save that authority for God; let him tell you what to do. No one else should carry the title of ‘Father’; you have only one Father, and he’s in heaven. And don’t let people maneuver you into taking charge of them. There is only one Life-Leader for you and them—Christ.
“Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant. If you puff yourself up, you’ll get the wind knocked out of you. But if you’re content to simply be yourself, your life will count for plenty.
“I’ve had it with you! You’re hopeless, you religion scholars, you Pharisees! Frauds! Your lives are roadblocks to God’s kingdom. You refuse to enter, and won’t let anyone else in either. You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You go halfway around the world to make a convert, but once you get him you make him into a replica of yourselves, double-damned…
“You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You burnish the surface of your cups and bowls so they sparkle in the sun, while the insides are maggoty with your greed and gluttony. Stupid Pharisee! Scour the insides, and then the gleaming surface will mean something.
“You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You’re like manicured grave plots, grass clipped and the flowers bright, but six feet down it’s all rotting bones and worm-eaten flesh. People look at you and think you’re saints, but beneath the skin you’re total frauds…”

Read the Rest of Series

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7

Do We Look More American than Christian? Part 1

Part 1: How we’ve become more like Jonah than Jesus.

Christian, say these words with me, directed to yourself:

Repent, and believe the Gospel.

These are a part of the historic words of the Ash Wednesday liturgy. And yet most people don’t hear them anymore (since most of our churches have jettisoned the traditions for a shinier, modern version of Christianity where they pretend they have no liturgy when, in fact, they do – they just have bad liturgy they’ve never thought through – see Simon Chan’s book Spiritual Theology).

And even if a churchgoer does hear those words once a year, they typically do not take them to heart. I truly believe God desires to do things in our generation that He has not done in generations in America. However, it will require us to humbly respond to this invitation:

Repent, and believe the Gospel.

Jesus or Jonah

If we were to assess our lives as Christians today, and the modern American church; and then contrast our lives and our churches to the life of Jonah and the ministry of Jesus, I think we would find ourselves looking far more like Jonah than Jesus. [If you don’t know the story of Jonah, it’s a quick read – go read it. And then, Click Here to go watch this Bible Project video.]

We have perpetuated a version of the Christian life and of church that essentially says to someone: “If you don’t fit into our version of church, then you don’t deserve the Gospel.”

I can hear the push back now… “Whoa, whoa, we are not exclusive. In fact, we are highly inclusive. Everyone is welcome at our church.” And those words reveal the very disease that has made us more like Jonah than Jesus – the expectation that those “nonbelievers” out there should come to us “believers” in here.

While we have traded cathedrals and stained glass windows for metal buildings and technology (still wasting money on earthy things we think will “please God” or “draw people”), we have continued the idea that somehow God is “in here” with us and not “out there” with you. And thus have communicated to the world around us the same thing Jonah was at least brave enough to own up to: “I don’t think you deserve the grace of God enough to bring the message of the Gospel to you – you’re going to have to ‘get your life together’ and make the decision to come to me if you want it.”

It’s not you, It’s me

And lest you are quick to point the finger at the “other person” who you determine is more guilty of this than you: When’s the last time you shared the good news of the Gospel with anyone?

I mean anyone.

Literally anyone.

Even yourself.

Christian: Repent, and believe the Gospel.

Here’s the harsh truth: we have not truly believed the full Gospel ourselves or we would not find ourselves in this situation. Myself included. Because if we really believed the full Gospel for ourselves, then it would passionately propel us to those around us displaying it with our actions and speaking it with our words.

Our family members, our coworkers, our classmates, our friends, our neighbors, and even the strangers we meet would see walking stories of the Gospel and we would be ever ready to share the hope that we now have.

We wouldn’t be the stuck-up, judgmental Christians bemoaning how “sinful” everyone else is and how our world’s going to “hell in a hand-basket.” We wouldn’t be the showy, cool Christians who try to “attract” people to Jesus with all of our trendiness. We wouldn’t be the “worried to offend someone” Christians who basically communicate that as long as you love Jesus all the sin you’re willfully embracing and not being transformed out of can be overlooked. And we wouldn’t be some combination of all of those things (which many American Christians today are).

Church: Repent, and believe the Gospel.

Re-Lent

As we start this season of Lent, it is meant as a time of dying to self that leads to (hopefully) spiritual resurrection at the end. How are you more like Jonah than Jesus? How is the church you are a part of or lead displaying a Jonah attitude more than a Jesus one? Are you willing to die to an American version of Christianity that assumes the world should come to us to hear the Gospel and instead be raised up into the original version of Christianity that involved you taking the Gospel to the world?

American Christian. American Church. Why do we look more American than Christian? And why are we more like Jonah than Jesus? May we hear afresh the words of the Ash Wednesday liturgy this year, and then act upon them appropriately:

Repent, and believe the Gospel.

*This is Part 1 of a 7-part series of posts on the American Church. Be looking for a new post each week as we participate in Lent and reflect on the things we need to let go of, or need to take hold of, as Christians in America.

Read the Rest of Series

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7

3 Failures That Charlottesville Revealed about the Church’s Approach to Justice

The Church is supposed to be the greatest agent of change in the world. However, as it relates to the “justice” conversation in our culture, the Church’s voice is not resonating.

Now that we have some space between us and the events of Charlottesville, I want to share some thoughts about how we, as the Church in America, got here. Where exactly am I talking about? I am talking about our position on the outside of the conversation of Justice looking in. I am talking about how we find ourselves reacting to the events in Charlottesville, and events like Charlottesville after the fact.
Continue reading “3 Failures That Charlottesville Revealed about the Church’s Approach to Justice”

The Main Business of the Church

What is the main business of the Church? Until we know why we exist, we will struggle to live into our purpose.

I pulled George G. Hunter’s book The Recovery of a Contagious Methodist Movement off my shelf the other day. As I was flipping through the pages, the following paragraphs stood out.
Continue reading “The Main Business of the Church”

People Aren’t Projects

Do you ever just wonder how you are viewed by other people? Or even recognize the way you view everyone else?

I have realized that over time and as I have gotten older I am more self-conscious of myself, becoming more aware of the ways I act and the words I say. Though in some ways this has been a positive in my life it has also brought about some negatives. Continue reading “People Aren’t Projects”

A “WebMD” Church Cannot Help the Hurting

I have written about this before in other places, however, it is a topic I find myself coming back to and thinking about regularly. It could be due to my love for talent shows. I could also be because of the longing I feel for validation myself.

I do not think that this longing is something far from the thoughts of many people. There is something within each of us hoping, yearning even, for others to receive us with open arms. I do not find this odd or even inappropriate. What I have discovered through my own introspection is that we may have turned our angst and decided to be satisfied by lesser forms of authority. When you are a singer and you want your voice measured you subject yourself to the judges on one of the many talent shows. When you want your cakes/cupcakes tasted or your tattoos showcased you put yourself out there and are literally under a microscope with the hope that someone will say, “Yeah, that is pretty amazing”. Those who make it to that stage are few. I often wonder about the countless droves who do not even risk the scrutiny and yet desire the evaluation.
Continue reading “A “WebMD” Church Cannot Help the Hurting”

A Divorced Church: The Irreconcilable Differences Between the Church and State

I believe it would be accurate to say that every generation since Jesus’ ascension has declared that it is one step closer to his return. The end of time is one of those realities that makes you wonder if we understand the conditions that must be met in order for Jesus’ return to take place. I cannot and will not claim any special expertise on the matter, but I will say, I find myself inclined to join the chorus. I do not know what exactly has triggered this shift in my mind but, it is there. I describe it is a sanctified unease as I look, listen, and live in our world. The world is changing. I guess it always had been, but I am now noticing it. The cultures of the world are changing. I should not really be surprised, they always do. For some reason I can now sense, in a more personal and visceral way, that everything is in a greater state of flux than I imagined. Continue reading “A Divorced Church: The Irreconcilable Differences Between the Church and State”

Traitors of the Kingdom: How The Church is Losing its Prophetic Voice

One of the realities of our time, and every era before this one, has been the temptation for the church to become entangled in the affairs of the world. This is the danger that exists for those of us who desire to reach into a world doomed by sin with the redemptive Gospel of Jesus Christ. We can look at the headlines, the local news, or even the casual conversations we have with our neighbors and friends to see that all is not well with the world. We can put on a smile and tell others we are “fine” but that only muffles the sound of the crumbling structures of our society.

Continue reading “Traitors of the Kingdom: How The Church is Losing its Prophetic Voice”

When/Where/How Does Church Really Happen?

I was reading the blog of pastor Jonathan Dobson of City Life Church in Austin, Texas. They canceled their Sunday service to participate in a 10K their city was hosting to raise money for Meal-on-Wheels. What I found most interesting was the benefits to the the people of City Life Church and to the city of Austin. Pastor Dobson gave some of the best reasons for canceling “church” on Sunday to see the Church engaging the city God has sent them into.

Read the Article here: Why Cancel “Church”?