Religious Attractions:
THE POWER OF YOU: only in America
There is no denying that faiths (plural) evolve, but none is so agile, skilled, and societal-driven as the corporate-christian mentality scattered somewhere between cookie-cutter subdivisions and high-rise foreclosure institutions. This Faith (american religion) super-evolves with the current of popular American culture. Actually, it must, or this Faith will die (that is, that particular "brand" will shrivel as the funding will deplete and the monies find themselves in the pockets of other open-handed religious entrepreneurs). Since most Americans have cast aside any associations to Church Tradition and/ or Church Authority, professing Christian-lites, who are happy to exercise their right to wield the "power of the consumer", shop around until they happen upon "the right fit or feel." Where else in the world would someone travel 30 miles in one direction to a church when there are at least 50 churches between the place of departure and the final destination (true stories in Dallas, Tx)? How can we possibly think this practice to be healthy?
Is it wrong for a religious organization to be "professional" and "savy"? I suppose not. Is it wrong for churches to spend their money on expensive AV equipment and theater lighting? The Bible doesn't say. As a matter of fact, the biblical writers most certainly emphasized teaching toward culturally relevant issues (idol worship, polytheism, meat offered to idols, head-coverings, hair length, the pantheon of gods, sharing meals with outsiders, etc), so why not include culturally relevant "goods and services"? Hey, Paul was a leather-worker, I'm sure he used his extensive travel portfolio as a means of "advertisement" (He'd of been an idiot if he didn't).
At this point, I'm sure the observant reader has sensed a bit of sarcasm and indictment, but I assure you, I do not mean to come across as the "church-matters" guru. American Christianity has done a great deal of good, more than can be accounted for, and I'm sure more than it is credited for. What gets me is the emphasis our churches place on their "image." But as the slogan so aptly states - Image is Everything.
Obviously God didn't drop a "Church Manual for Dummies" from the sky. How then do we validate our "marketing strategies" and "five year plans" for our churches. Well, I think it simple, Churches have merely adopted the business practices of corporate America. Businesses validate their existence by doing business. They can validate their function this way by profit and marketability. It seems to me that churches (American Suburban Churches)have adopted this same approach. Maybe the relationship can be found in the fact that most churches are built of corporate American people. It would only make sense to do what you know best, especially if it works, especially when tradition and cohesion has not a place. I know this mentality to be true. I once heard a corporate America CEO state that he viewed his actual business as functioning in a similar role as a church by saying that he believed his business to be a type of "sending of people" into the world. Business is not Church. Church is not Business.
But what of Church? What are we making it? Church leaders feel the pressure of society to "succeed." Success is defined in American culture as "profitability" and "expansion." So a church must make money and build buildings. In order to do this, the people must be on board with Church Leadership. How can Leaders get the people to follow? Simple. Provide a service. So churches provide whatever the people want. Safe Atmospheres, Extravagant Shows, Useful Programming (call it Sunday school if you wish but self-help material is not what Moody had in mind), Personality, etc. Churches spend top dollar to provide services that increase attendance and ultimately giving. The churches then report growth as if it is God's miraculous blessing. Once people are convinced that the results of spectacular marketing tactics are supernatural interventions, the excitement is exponentially exacerbated.
What to think? Pastor's, for the most part, would rather spend money more on legitimate Christian activities such as those as commended by Christ. Giving to the poor, orphan, widow, sick, marginalized, oppressed, down-trodden, but Pastor's also know they cannot do those things unless the people are giving. And again, as the cycle goes, Church Leaders must provide a service for its patrons in order to report positive quarterly earnings. Is any one at fault? Well, fingers can be pointed, but when you point one finger away, four fingers point back. The people want, the Leaders need, the Leaders provide, the people pay. Its simple, business, really.
How can churches seriously address deep spiritual needs when so much of the activity of the church is designed to create shallow atmospheres of safety and belonging? I'm afraid much of the spiritual counsel that should be provided by the church is being provided by those unskilled, but well-meaning disciples of American Christian churches.
So it is that "Image" is the god of church functionality in America. Through simple participation in daily life activity, we consumers are trained to think this way as a result of our (hold, do you hear it? the applause) fantastic marketing and advertising agencies and profit-sharing shareholders. We run building campaigns, missions campaigns, event campaigns, conference campaigns, all designed to gather the seeing eyes of the "consumers" of the church. Is it any wonder that my co-worker, when he looks out on the Christian environment, says it's all kind of shallow, without significant meaning or truth; he seems to think it for people who need a crutch to get through life. Is he really that far off? Those "on the outside looking in" see through our facade of spiritualized materialism.
The publishing companies aren't helping either. How many different types of Bibles are there just for one translation? One translation for children, one for pre-teens, one for teens, one for study, one for devotions, one for summer, one for Fridays, one for Every other Birthday, one for boys, one for 6 1/2 year olds born on Friday the 13th (just in case). But, I can't really blame them, after all, they are a business.
What exactly am I suggesting? We need to move past our Democratic American ideas of Church Government, our Consumer Driven ideas of Church Business, our Materialistic View of Church activity, our Insincere Motives of Relevant Outreach.
Should we return to Liturgy? Not simply for the sake of Liturgy, but we should return to the depths of that which lies behind Liturgy. Should we return to Tradition? Not for the sake of Tradition, but we should return to Tradition for the sake of the Truth which is embodied in Tradition.