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 To the Suburban Church of North AmericaA open letter to this expression of American Christianity.
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Unlike John of Patmos, we can't convey the words of the risen Christ. But we can imagine what words of correction and comfort Jesus would give to the churches today. That's just what Christianity Today magazine asked seven pastors to do at the close of the last decade. Patterned after the letters to the seven churches of Asia Minor in Revelation 2–3, these contemporary church leaders have tried to discern what Christ might say through them today. How would he challenge and correct different segments of the church? How would he encourage and comfort them? While the words that follow aren't inspired, our hope is that they will be inspiring. Each week this month on BuildingChurchLeaders.com we'll consider more letters like this one. A message from the Son of God, Jesus, whom you call Master and who calls you to follow him. My churches in suburbia are one of the wonders of the world—there has never been anything quite like them. What energy, enthusiasm, generosity! And you're honest. Hypocrisy has always been a big problem for me, and I don't expect ever to eradicate it, but it is not conspicuous among you. Of all forms of pretense, religious pretense is the worst. Thankfully, I don't find many pretenders among you. But I do have this against you: you're far too impressed with Size and Power and Influence. You are impatient with the small and the slow. You exercise little discernment between the ways of the world and my ways. It distresses me that you so uncritically copy the attitudes and methods that make your life in suburbia work so well. You grab onto anything that works and looks good. You do so many good things, but too often you do them in the world's way instead of mine, and so seriously compromise your obedience. I understand why, for most of you have gotten along pretty well in the world—you're well-educated, well-housed, well-paid, well-thought-of; it's only natural that you should put the values and methods that have worked so well for you into service for me. But don't you realize that however successful these attitudes and methods have been in achieving American benefits, it has come at a terrible price: depersonalizing people into functions; turning virtually everything into a cause or commodity to be used or fixed or consumed, doing everything you can to keep suffering at arm's length? The suburban church has a lot of people in it, it functions very well, you can make almost anything happen. But honestly, now, do you think that this is what I had in mind when I said, "Follow me," and then headed for Golgotha in Jerusalem? Here's what I want you to do. I want you to start off by purging your imagination of your suburban assumptions. I want you to do it by spending the next couple of years reading carefully and repeatedly the 16 Hebrew prophets, Isaiah to Malachi. I have used these prophets over and over again through the centuries to separate my people from the cultures in which they lived. They are one of my standard ways of putting my people back on the path of simple faith and obedience and worship in defiance of all that the world admires and rewards. My Spirit continues to use these prophets to train my people in discerning the difference between the ways of the world and the ways of the gospel. He wants to use them with you. |             |
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