I read another good book this summer, “Thieves in the Temple,” by G. Jeffrey MacDonald.
“The Christian Church and the selling of the American soul,” is the subtitle, and gives you a quick sense of where he is going to take you.
For anyone interested in the future of the Church, he makes some thought-provoking comments, like…
“People shop for congregations that make them feel comfortable rather than spiritually challenged. They steer clear of formal commitments to Christian communities. They flee when they are not quickly gratified or when they encounter interpersonal problems.”
MacDonald is deeply concerned about the consumer-driven, marketplace oriented church that first asks “What do people want?” and then plan accordingly, rather than asking, “What will truly help people?” and then planning activities to lift affections higher and save neighbors from the siren calls of selfish and sinful pursuit.
He comments
“…churchgoers in the new religious marketplace have come to engage the institution as consumers with needs, wants, demands, and wish lists. They insist that their desires be satisfied, not elevated or transformed. Market-sensitive churches of all stripes have responded by reinventing themselves as dispensers of entertainment and soothing comfort.”
He adds“People need the Church to help them rise above their lower natures and come to care deeply about higher things…”
“When true to its mission of saving souls, the Church helps new desires take root.”
He wonders
“In the new religious marketplace, does the Church offer Americans a way to the highest things or yet another space in which to be self-indulgent?”
Jeffrey gives many examples of preachers catering to people’s desire to get rich, gain possessions, prestige and status. He writes about how wealth-prosperity preachers feed on these lusts and promise earthly reward to grow their congregations.
He asks
“…does the Church offer Americans a way to the highest things or yet another space in which to be self-indulgent?”
He expounds on how seekers get confused between “feeling good” and being “spiritually enlightened.” There is a difference, he points out, between finding comfort in this world and being genuinely spiritually inspired which often includes sacrifice and cross bearing to achieve.
Because of the strong-hold the consumer-driven approach seems to have on churches today, especially many mega-churches, he predicts
“…we can expect religious consumers to keep demanding the cost-free approach to discipleship that has come to mark and mar our generation.”
“…Americans…are leery of anything that requires substantial personal cost….a church without genuine spiritual discipline is as effective at elevating souls as a doughnut diet is at slimming waistlines.”
I didn’t agree with several of his sentiments and conclusions about the motive and intent of many successful preachers across the country, but he makes many valid points and astute observations about the church landscape before us today. It was a book well worth reading.
I would say this is also true of the radical islam religion catering to fit their own agenda for gullible young martyrs. I feel world wide what you have stated is true,even for the “Euro” churches. G
I don’t have a problem with churches trying to meet human needs. With folks working 10 hours a day, doing chores, volunteer work, and taking care of children on Saturdays, church on Sunday morning may be the one free morning where they get to choose what they want to do–and don’t have to do–every week. God bless them for showing up at church on Sunday mornings when they could sleep later, sit home and read the paper. Church should be supportive and fun and pleasant. Why can’t spirituality be fun and light, too? There’s plenty of cross-bearing in other aspects of our life. Church should give you a boost for the week. Take my yoke, Jesus said. So, if we help share each others’ burdens at church, find some camaraderie,learn how others are living their spirituality in their lives, that’s great. There should be spiritual enlightenment, but having the other human needs met for camaraderie, fellowship, fun is great, too. I don’t see them as mutually exclusive. I said to a pastor once that church is the one thing we volunteer to do every week–it should be fun and rewarding. Spirituality doesn’t have to be heavy and complex–it can be simple and light and meet lots of human needs. A God of Love and Spirit and Soul and infinite Light who says “All that I have is thine” would want us to enjoy our togetherness and would be happy that church met our needs on lots of levels I think. We can have an expansive view of church–wherever 2 or 3 are gathered in my name, Christ or church is in the midst of them. We’re supposed to feed the hungry, comfort the grieving as well as heal the sick. It’s all church. WHATEVER rests upon divine Principle and is structured by Truth and Love is an expression church….spirituality and spiritual lessons can be found in an art class or a tennis match. Much better for churches to think of how to serve their congregations than the old model of being self-serving and power hungry, taking from the congregation and making them feel guilty. My mom runs a grief recovery program and post-abortion support group at her large church and has helped a lot of people, comforting those that are mourning. They are attracted to her group and sometimes start attending church. Church is like a fountain–come and drink and however it refreshes you is great.
An interesting question is what does God need from us that going to church gives Him? Do we go to go to church for His sake? It seems that church is for us, to meet our human needs, one of which is for spiritual enlightenment or to learn more about God, but churches can meet other needs along with that without diluting their spiritual purpose.
I think this is very thought provoking. The question, it seems to me, is: does Divine Love meet every human need? or is it the function of Divine Love (expressed in church) to satisfy every human want? Like human parents, who often have to discern between what will meet the real need of a child (perhaps what will help him/her grow in strength of character, purity, faith, honesty or wisdom) and what the child thinks he wants so badly — instant gratification. Sometimes, when church services and activities appeal to the yearning of the 5-senses or emotions, they offer what is wanted, rather than truly needed. Really, spiritual sense is what acquaints our hearts with God. That doesn’t mean church services can’t be incredibly inspiring and fresh. It just requires a little deeper thought to “catch” the inspiration and be lifted up higher.
Thanks Melanie…some thought-provoking comments on your part too…
In teaching Sunday School, I’ve had many young people say to me I don’t get anything out of church and I tell them the purpose of church is to give, not get – to give of our inspiration, our joy, our peace and love. I have seen some wonderful ways that church is meeting the needs of many people especially over the past three or so years by not being so rigid but opening thought to fresh concepts but never sacrificing the prnciples of Jesus’ teachings and the ideas in Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy. Vicki