As Boston sports fan, I'm about to say something that could be construed as heretical: I'm ready for a break. You see, in Boston, every game over the past few years has been a Big Game. Stretch runs, playoffs, Yankees, Lakers, Super Bowls, World Series, NBA championships . . . . it's been seemingly endless and I'm pooped. We actually got rid of cable recently so I can't even watch them if I wanted to. I have Big Game Fatigue when it comes to sports.
Although this is an unprecedented stretch for any city, and every game has been a relatively big game sports-wise, I still somewhat blame the media. Sports have become a business, and to keep the "business" going, every game has to be an EVENT. The next game has to be the most important, can't-miss game of the year, the decade, the century! It's worn me out. I can't keep the emotions going and believe it or not, I'm not even watching the current Red Sox playoff series. (And I've been following them relentlessly my entire life.)
As a pastor, I fear that the same thing has happened in American Christianity. Since religion is now a multi-billion dollar business, pastors have to make sure that every meeting, every sermon, every get-together is an EVENT. Gotta keep the 'business' running, you know? We can't let the people lose the sense of urgency - this is the end! - so that they keep the money coming in. If you keep the people in fear, they'll keep writing checks and voting for your candidate and supporting your ministry.
This is a huge problem. How many "this is the final call" altar calls can we endure? How many "send in your seed money now or your life (and our ministry) will crumble" pleas can we handle? The church is starting to suffer from Big Game Fatigue and the cracks are beginning to appear in the foundation of the corporation. Good. I'm glad and I hope that it all comes apart. For us to be living out and accomplishing the true purpose of Christ, the Business of Church has to collapse and we have to get back to the real message. My brother is the real message - not the corporation.
I wish it would happen with sports - I wish that the curtain would be pulled back and every fan would realize that the constant drumbeat of "the next big game" is simply a corporation and media ploy to keep you tuned in, to keep you buying their product. I also wish that the curtain would be pulled back on the Corporation of Christianity that's going on in America today and the Christians would realize that they're being victimized by men simply trying to keep their "product" moving out the doors of the warehouse.
I'm going to take a deep breath and get out of the Big-Game mentality. It doesn't mean that I'm going to lose my urgency for the Kingdom, but I'm going to recognize that Christ expects us to live it out even in the monotony of daily life. Loving our brother, forgiving our enemy, reconciling the world to God through Christ - is awesome and exciting - and sometimes very, very slow work. It's not all about the "experience" but about quietly allowing Christ to do His work through us. Quietly, humbly, methodically and effectively.
I Thessalonians 4:11, 12 "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody."
That doesn't sound like Big Game hunting, does it? A quiet life? Minding our own business? Working with our hands instead of gaining money off the business? Gaining the respect of the 'outsiders' instead of their hatred? Hmmmm.....
Here's a homework assignment for you: Read Ezekiel 34 and then tell me if it doesn't sound like today's Christian world. Then note carefully how God is going to deal with the situation.
1 comment:
i know what you mean with the sports thing. i cant wait for the whole, patriot bandwagon/redsox nation/celtics big three things to go away. i love having good teams to watch, but where did the real fan watching a good game go. i was happy that brady got injured, and i almost hope they have a bad season in an effort to weed out the band wagon fans and leave the true fans to enjoy there team. enough on the sports stuff, however it is a good connection piont to what is going on in the church. whether it is the media, comercialism, the quest for the American dream, the culture we live in today, with its own set of values has twisted many aspects of life such as sports and including the Christian church.
i appriciate your concern on this subject. it is a real shame that some churches have become a business. isnt the Christian church supposed to effect the culture and not the other way around?
im still dwelling on the idea of working on the basics. knowing what being a Christian really means, pleasing God, approaching everything with a broader scope of love, truth, humility, honesty, kindness, understanding, wisdom. the verse you included, 1 thessalonians 4:11,12, helps me continue to keep things in the right perspective. just a tought, by living out that verse in the culture we are in today would deffinately have a much greater impact then any media plug. it would be the direct opposite of what we are tought today by this business culture. i think in this there is the difference between worldy wisdom and wisdom from God. being a fool to the world by wise in the Lord.
this is a great topic. like i siad, i appriciate your concern in this area. your recognition and concern says alot about what kind of sheppard you are. as for ezekiel 34, its very important for the real christians to be following the lords shepherds who are feeding the flock and not those shepherds who are only feeding themselves.
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