nauseated

The moral flabbiness born of the bitch-goddess success. That - with the squalid interpretation put on the word success - is our national disease.*

Just how long will our churches and religious communites submit themselves to such earthy notions of success, whereby we measure our effectiveness by number and power? I have been a part of churches both large and small, economically secure and lacking, in fine facilities and those with peeling paint. And no matter how many times the issue of overemphasis on attendance, buildings and cash is denounced by religious leaders there remains many power struggles ranging from the direction of millions of dollars worth of funds to what color the sanctuary carpet should be. Why? Because we have sold ourselves to the notion that success is them most important ideal.

But success in whose terms?

Denominations want to see increased revenue, membership and baptisms. Church boards want to see people filling their pews. Churchgoers desire the best music and a flashy sermon. And everyone desires their churches to be admired and accepted by the community. Perhaps the case can be made that each of these are fine in and of themselves, but the constant hyperextension to include these at the center of church life demonstrates the current situation of moral flabbiness of which William James speaks.

I have found this in many conversations following all types of religious gatherings (from church 'business' to church 'fellowship' - as though the life of a church can be separated). There are many who want to immediately decide if everything was a 'success'. What if it wasn't? Then what? Do we work to make it a success next time, if there even is a next time? Provide enough of these situations and one can easily trace the downward spiral of fabricating socio-cultural entertainment. In other words, our incredibly poor concept of success leads us further away from our mission as a church. And the result is a moral flabbiness which is characterized by the lack of understanding truth and pervading sinfulness within our churches today. It also explains the failure of the 'seeker-sensitive' movement which paved the way into this level of churchy leisure instead of holding fast in a world of shifting sands.

It is indeed a shame that the words of Amos are so quickly forgotten in our modern culture. Speaking on behalf of God:

I can't stand your religious meetings.
I'm fed up with your conferences and conventions.
I want nothing to do with your religion projects,
your pretentious slogans and goals.
I'm sick of your fund-raising schemes,
your public relations and image making.
I've had all I can take of your noisy ego-music.
When was the last time you sang to me?
Do you know what I want?
I want just - oceans of it.
I want fairness - rivers of it.
That's what I want. That's all I want



I have to admit that there are times when my stomach turns as harshly as this. And I am begin to think that it's not last night's pizza anymore!


"So long as man remains free he strives for nothing so incessantly and so painfully as to find someone to worship."**







Bible translation from The Message: a good paraphrase for those "too comfortable" with Scripture. . .

*William James, 11 September 1906
**Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov