(Continued from previous)
More precisely, how I am being made to feel by the American media machine about the use of my wealth.
See, we are all fed the lie of consumerism: If you have this, you'll be (insert positive trait here). The problem is, this only works for a while, and then we need the next "fix." We all have these triggers, don't we? You know, those things that catch our eye? Bigger house, nicer car, hotter spouse, etc. etc.
The American Church is mainline attached to the bloated beast of our consumerist culture. I mean, we have gift stores in our churches. We have ATM's in our churches. We have Starbuck's kiosks in our churches. Some churches even have Marketing Divisions.
I mean, really? Ad writers for God?
Seems to me that if you really need a Marketing Division to make people want to come to your church, then at the very core of the Message, you're getting something wrong.
How did we take this Way, the greatest message of hope in history, and turn it into a commercial, and a club? Isn't it obvious why people of other faiths (or no faith) look at what we've become and come to the conclusion that being a Jesus-follower is a trade down?
The very things that cause people of other faiths to hate us should be the very things that drive conscientious believers to their knees, begging God for forgiveness and awareness.
St. Athanasius said that "The glory of God is a human being fully alive." Not, fully entertained or fully satiated.
God has given us the opportunity to participate with Him as partners in the Kingdom Come. How often do we reject this opportunity because we look around at our titles and our treasures and tell ourselves that things are really pretty good around here?
After all, "me getting mine" is what it's all about, right? Brother? Sister? Pastor?
More precisely, how I am being made to feel by the American media machine about the use of my wealth.
See, we are all fed the lie of consumerism: If you have this, you'll be (insert positive trait here). The problem is, this only works for a while, and then we need the next "fix." We all have these triggers, don't we? You know, those things that catch our eye? Bigger house, nicer car, hotter spouse, etc. etc.
The American Church is mainline attached to the bloated beast of our consumerist culture. I mean, we have gift stores in our churches. We have ATM's in our churches. We have Starbuck's kiosks in our churches. Some churches even have Marketing Divisions.
I mean, really? Ad writers for God?
Seems to me that if you really need a Marketing Division to make people want to come to your church, then at the very core of the Message, you're getting something wrong.
How did we take this Way, the greatest message of hope in history, and turn it into a commercial, and a club? Isn't it obvious why people of other faiths (or no faith) look at what we've become and come to the conclusion that being a Jesus-follower is a trade down?
The very things that cause people of other faiths to hate us should be the very things that drive conscientious believers to their knees, begging God for forgiveness and awareness.
St. Athanasius said that "The glory of God is a human being fully alive." Not, fully entertained or fully satiated.
God has given us the opportunity to participate with Him as partners in the Kingdom Come. How often do we reject this opportunity because we look around at our titles and our treasures and tell ourselves that things are really pretty good around here?
After all, "me getting mine" is what it's all about, right? Brother? Sister? Pastor?
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