By Aaron Daffern
What is your world view? Through what lens do you view reality? How do you process the human condition? Does life make sense? Do all things work out for the best? Is humanity basically good or evil? What is the cause of hurt, suffering, pain, and tyranny? How you consciously or subconsciously answer these questions will shape your world view.
For believers today, there are myriads of competing world views that are striving to conquer all Christendom like the crusades of a millennium ago. Just walk into your local neighborhood Lifeway store and you’ll be assaulted with what I like to call “marketable” Christianity.
The proper reverence for God, morals to live by, and contemporary missiology can be yours for $69.99 with the purchase of your brand-new study bible with imitation leather cover (name engraving available at the customer service counter). I bet that over 50% of the people that will read this blog own a study bible that has been purchased within the last five years.
Do you remember how the Pharisees went bad in Jesus time? Their scribes, in copying the Pentateuch (Genesis – Deuteronomy) for the next generation, would write study notes off to the side to properly interpret the scriptures for the average layperson.
In succeeding centuries these notes became cannonized (Talmud) and were given as much or more weight than Holy inspired text. If we think that we have learned from the follies of a group of religious leaders that were so castigated by our Lord and Savior, pay attention during your next Sunday School class or Life Group. Count the number of times that you hear the phrase “My study bible says” or “According to my study bible.” You’ll probably want to wear sandals as you’ll have to count past ten.
Marketable Christianity is fluid. Today you can buy a Sportsman’s Study Bible (camoflauge cover), Graduate’s Bible, Apologetics Study Bible, Police Officer’s Bible, Firefighter’s Bible, and much, much more. These options will probably change over the years. I’m sure within 15 years we’ll see the Secretary’s Study Bible, Aeronautical Engineer’s Study Bible, and Adjunct Professor of Constitutional Law Study Bible. Whatever keeps the money flowing, right? Our faith is tied to the sales receipts of various Christian marketplaces. Don’t even get me started on contemporary “Christian Living” books. Perhaps you haven’t sold out to marketable Christianity. (Note: If you have a Christian fish eating a Darwin fish with legs on your bumper, it’s too late for you.) There are other world views vying for your attention. One of the latest is the “consumer church” movement. This idea stems from the philosophy that we as potential church attendees are consumers looking for the best bang for our buck. In order for your local, neighborhood church to get ahead and build God’s kingdom, it must stand above the crowd. Whether that comes from free espressos, rock band worship services, or listening to speakers on sitting on a stool with a wireless mic and flip-flops on, we must be ministered to where we are. Honestly, when did we all start wearing jeans to church? How does dressing down (business casual) impact our worship?
But it’s not just the worship that must closely resemble a Hannah Montana concert in order to woo audiences. The church itself must become a smrgsbord of ministry options in order to compete. There must be children’s ministry, youth ministry, and young married’s ministry. Those are standard, but the go-getters have ministries for college, for singles, for divorcees, for Gen-Xers, Gen-Yers, and the Next Generation (or Millennials). Basically, if your church resembles Wal-Mart, you’ve found your niche. You should be able to walk in and find everything you need.
The most interesting thing about consumer churches is that for the most part they adjust their ministry to meet the needs/wants of the unchurched. They are trying so hard to bring in outsiders and make them comfortable that the unsaved end up driving the ministry. The church becomes singular in its need to fit in with the world and not offend potential customers. This in turns makes the conversion moment the penultimate experience and all that sanctification junk plays second fiddle. As long as we are going to Heaven, does it really matter how we spend the rest of our days? Just buy a study bible to help you figure it out.
So what’s my world view? I’m still figuring that out. I could spend more time telling you what it isn’t than what it is. I know God is sovereign in all creation and at the same time we have a measure of freedom. I know that humanity is very jacked up and Christianity is not really helping. I know that Jesus is the only way to God (John 14:6) but I don’t trust what the churches are teaching me. Rosy, huh?
Aaron has been a school teacher for ten years in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. He is transitioning to full-time ministry in River Oaks, TX with his wife and three children.
So what is the answer here? Is the cosmic answer since the beginning of time: “You’re doing it wrong”? Why is this so hard? Surely the key lies in the fact that we still can’t get it right. What is that key? Is it sin? So that’s the answer? That we are all so full of sin no one gets it right. You there, voicing your thoughts on scripture? Sin. You there, writing a book on how to study Acts? Sin. You taking the Bible literally…wrong. You there not reading the Bible every day…wrong. What I’m getting at is that everything we do can be called out as the wrong way. Why are we doing that? Of course, we are consumed by anxiety. The cost of getting this “wrong” is pretty high, isn’t it? So quick someone figure out how to do it right!! But think of the countless ways people have interpreted the Bible and scripture and how many ways people have felt it is supposed to be carried out in daily life. Why would God allow all of that?
It can’t be this simple: but are we just making it too hard?
I NEED to hear others views on scripture…sometimes I just don’t understand. What am I to make of this? Why was this book written? What is the gist of this passage? Every once in a while, i daydream that God says “Sweetie, relax. You’re making this too hard. If it says I love you, then what do you think you should be doing with your life?” And then at times I see the image from the OBEY poster…staring at me with intense eyes expecting me to pour over the Bible and realize that he has called us to a hard life, full of pain and sacrifice and I better get it right. Oh, and be sure to get others to sign up for this “good news!”
I know this is a rambling post, possibly makes no sense at all. But I’m struggling mightily with this right now. There are so many negative voices out there. Within Christianity. Everything is wrong. So what exactly is right?
We all have different world views, don’t we? Is that Good or Evil? Could that be part of God’s plan?
Loved your blog. Good stuff.
Lisa Jo,
I feel your pain. Nothing is as it seems. I sometimes feel like Neo in the Matrix after swallowing the little pill – once you see the church for what it has become, you can’t go back. The answer is not a bigger and better church but a deeper, personal relationship with Christ. That scares the church because it decentralizes authority and elevates the priesthood of the believer above the power of our clergy. A true ekklesia is a community of believers that commune daily with God and let his word impact every aspect of their lives, not a group of pew potatoes that show up every Sunday at 11:00 am for a worship experience.
There are more layers and levels of understanding the Gospel than you may realize. Remember that life on planet earth has not always involved The Golden Arches with all our conveniences. 150 years ago life was extremely difficult. Today’s American response to salvation is “saved from what”? My advise is to forget everything you thought you ever knew about God and salvation and Christianity in general. Once you realize that “Bible Times” didn’t start the day you first picked up your bible then you’ll relax a little. Changes today pale in comparison to the whoppers that started long ago shortly after the Apostles left the stage. Paul even warned us about the Apostasy to come and that was nearly 2000 years ago.
The information age & we’re still so confused? A few things I can type in the Google Search-Bar: Origin of the Trinity doctrine—–RESULTS::: Nicene Creed 325 aka First Ecumenical Council. Boy, that was simple wasn’t it? Now how come my pastor couldn’t do a search like that to really know where his beliefs originated? Oh, it’s because he’s still studying our community’s Ethnic ratio and why is it that in a 5 mile radius with 28000 people his church only has approx 25-45 members—-‘Cause that’s where his heart is. Above everything else READ YOUR BIBLE!!! Even if you never darken the doors of a church, pray to God to reveal his word to you and you are Guaranteed results. Every labeled denomination in the world is stained with traces of the Apostasy (The Great Falling Away) Even Apostolics that have the correct mode for salvation are in terrible error when it comes to “tithing & catholic holidays & so much more” They just don’t realize how right they are when it comes to salvation compared to any other known denomination.
352.342.1384 for details- You can even text my cell number if you prefer- Adam
Dear Aaron, My husband and I thought very much as you do and thought ministry would be the only way to effect change. I’m almost certain that you’re disillusionment will only continue to grow until one day you must decide to join the Borg and assimilate, or leave the church for the wilderness. Financial security may be a looming concern for you should you consider a life outside of “paid ministry”. Should you trust the Lord enough to leave the broken, man-made system we call “church”, you will have plenty of time on your hands to see that the “cult-like” system you have been living under, goes far beyond niche study bibles. I would lovingly ask that before you put yourself (and your family?) through the Matrix that you read Pagan Christianity (Viola & Barna) and read anything from Wayne Jacobson (sp).
Life on the outside isn’t as easy as the cloistered life of the Western evangelical, but it is real. Best of luck!
Christin,
Thanks for the tip. I just picked up Viola’s “Reimagining Church” and couldn’t put it down. It gave voice to all the doubts that haunted my churchgoing experience.