Fasten Your Seatbelts, We're In For A Bumpy Ride Today
In my spare time (which would be considerably longer if the Rangers would stop going 14 innings to win games) I've been reading Kenda Creasy Dean's book Almost Christian: What the Faith of our Teenagers is Telling the American Church. Basically, they've done studies and come up with the idea that American Christian teenagers are nice kids with a positive view of religion. And then points the finger at the American church by saying we're producing what we're teaching.
So, while I'm only about a quarter way through the book, I thought I'd give you a bit of provocation from Professor Dean (who, by the way, if you're reading, consider this my formal invitation for a lifetime supply of whatever drink you want from Starbucks for the rest of your life if you'll chat youth ministry with me):
It'll help you to know that the words Moralistic Therapeutic Deism is how she describes the teachings of the American Church these days. She also calls it "theological malpractice." (isn't that a great phrase?)
And the big one...
Today...
...I'm really glad I'm a pastor who deals exclusively with students, man.
Pour your coffee.
Think about the quotes.
Chip in to the discussion.
Oh, man.
In my spare time (which would be considerably longer if the Rangers would stop going 14 innings to win games) I've been reading Kenda Creasy Dean's book Almost Christian: What the Faith of our Teenagers is Telling the American Church. Basically, they've done studies and come up with the idea that American Christian teenagers are nice kids with a positive view of religion. And then points the finger at the American church by saying we're producing what we're teaching.
So, while I'm only about a quarter way through the book, I thought I'd give you a bit of provocation from Professor Dean (who, by the way, if you're reading, consider this my formal invitation for a lifetime supply of whatever drink you want from Starbucks for the rest of your life if you'll chat youth ministry with me):
It'll help you to know that the words Moralistic Therapeutic Deism is how she describes the teachings of the American Church these days. She also calls it "theological malpractice." (isn't that a great phrase?)
"Moralistic Therapeutic Deism has little to do with God or a sense of a divine mission in the world. It offers comfort, bolsters self-esteem, helps solve problems, and lubricates interpersonal relationships by encouraging people to do good, feel good, and keep God at arm's length. It is a self-emolliating spirituality; its thrust is personal happiness and helping treat each other nicely...they practice it because this is what we have taught them in the church."
"If we fail to bear God's life-altering, world-changing, fear-shattering good news (which, after all, is the reason the church exists in the first place)--if desire for God and devotion to our fellow human beings is replaced by a loveless shell of religiosity--then young people unabe to find consequential Christianity in the church absolutely should defalut to something safer. In fact, that is exactly what they are doing."
And the big one...
"The fruit of a consequential Christian faith is holiness, not niceness, which is not a course for the faint of heart. If the Bible is any indication, holy people make us uncomfortable. they take sacrificial risks on behalf of others; they are disarmingly wise and often, disconcertingly weird. They expose us with their honesty. Teenagers on this trajectory find 95 things wrong with the church, nail the list to the door, and call the press. Yet their faith is the passion of God, who empowers them for mission and calls them out of their comfort zones so they can call us out of ours."
Today...
...I'm really glad I'm a pastor who deals exclusively with students, man.
Pour your coffee.
Think about the quotes.
Chip in to the discussion.
Oh, man.
.jpg){kind=avatar}
4 Comments:
Even though you (as in me) may think your kid is strong enough to express their faith in a faithless environment, you may soon find out you are wrong. The pressure to default to a deistic approach is great. It's surprising to them to see others who are seemingly "good" and lack any sort of faith in the one and only God. What is the motivation to believe when others seem to have a pretty darn good life and not believe?
So are we to blame? Maybe in middle/upper-middle class suburbia we are. We have enough money and STUFF that it doesn't appear that we need God. We do Bible study when it's convenient. And many of us prefer pre-digested Bible study (by an author that shall remain nameless so I don't get hate mail) because it's easier to spout her opinion about the subject than to have to study the Word and wrestle with what God says. If that's the picture of Christianity we are presenting, then why wouldn't our kids do the same thing? And sadly, the church has become way more interested in hanging out and fellowshipping rather than studying what the Word actually says.
Many adults want to feel good about themselves. Forget holiness...that's too hard. And we certainly don't want someone not to like us if we share our beliefs.
And trust me, I speak for myself on this issue. I feel sufficiently convicted.
It's not just adults. My generation is just as bad about "feel-good" theology. Actually, we're probably worse. We've grown up in a more relativistic (I think that's a word), indulgent, and independent world; we have fewer strong moral beliefs and even more suspect faith. In the latter, I mean that for all our talk of believing in something, our loyalty is often in name only. We're all like the lying brother in Matthew 21: 28-32. We'll talk about "deep" subjects and have our "spiritual experiences", but in the end it's all talk.
Now I've literally grown up at Crossroads and our teaching has shaped my life. By any standards, that gives me a much better upbringing than most my age. But I'm still having a problem doing the simplest things that God wants me to do. That's not to say I'm not trying. The real struggle is in submitting to God instead of doing my own thing.
I wholeheartedly agree that our suburbia lifestyle shelters us from the truth: it's much easier to forget God when all your needs and many of your wants are spoken for. But when we actually come to God (which should be always), our biggest challenge is getting used to saying and accepting things as they are. As opposed to shifting them to a more comfortable worldview.It's time we shatter those rose lenses that veil our eyes.
Wow! Moralistic Therapeutic Deism hits the nail on the head. How many sermons have I listened to in which the speakers promises my life will be better, or my relationships will be easier if I just do X, Y, and Z. Yes, it's true doing what Christ asks of usm humbling ourselves and putting other before ourselves, can sometimes ease relationships, but other times it makes relationships difficult (think Jesus cleaning out the temple--I'm pretty sure those people weren't too happy with him).
I am so guilty of backing off the truth just to smooth things over; I hate conflict, avoid it like the plague most of the time. And yet, Jesus seemed to be in conflict quite frequently, and not because He was all high and mighty, but because He was speaking and doing the will of His Father. His motiviation wasn't to irritate, but to illuminate, to open their eyes to truth and truth is not always bubble gum and marshmallows.
It is difficult as a parent of young children not to fall into Moralistic Therapeutic Deism. I am constantly correcting behaviors that cause strife and it is so much easier to focus on the behavior and never address the heart issue. Even now, I'm thinking of the latest parenting book I read and realizing it's nothing but theological malpractice. "Teach your children to honor others and your family life will be better". True? Yes, but not necessarily guaranteed. Honoring people means telling them the truth, and someday your children (or you for that matter) might not appreciate hearing the truth.
One more question....how do I show my children I am following hard after God?
I'm reading Wide Awake, by Erwin McManus right now and what I am reading there seems to be the pill we need for this Suburbia Blues we seem to be in Evangelistically.
The local mega Church schedules 6 mission trips a year to Guatemala for families, or mother/daughter groups to go to an orphanage and "hold babies" who need love. I have a hard time processing the numbers in this...100 - 150 plane tickets to Guatemala, with meal plans, etc. to "hold babies"? Seems pretty short sighted to me, and I'm sure it makes the families FEEL good, but is that what we're after?
Yeah, this convicted me...and pick up Wide Awake...it will compell you to begin to do something about it, rather than just beat yourself up :)
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home