ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHING
April 29, 2022
Richard Beck wrote an article entitled, The Bait and Switch of Contemporary Christianity (Sojo.net). It is a fascinating look at the games Christians have played to avoid doing some of the real work of being Christ followers. He writes,
“…rather than being a decent human being the following is a list of some commonly acceptable substitutes:
Going to church
Worship
Praying
Spiritual disciplines (e.g., fasting)
Bible study
Voting Republican
Going on spiritual retreats
Reading religious books
Arguing with evolutionists
Sending your child to a Christian school or providing education at
home
Using religious language
Avoiding R-rated movies
Not reading Harry Potter.
The point is that one can fill a life full of spiritual activities without ever, actually, trying to become a more decent human being.”
I’m not suggesting that any of the above things are bad in and of themselves. In fact, there are some on this list that very good and faithful people may choose to do, but they are no substitute for the radical life Jesus demonstrated and invited his followers to emulate.
Prayer: O Holy God, there are so many people attempting to define what it means to follow you, and it sure sounds good with all of its religious language and highly moral attributes, but it really doesn’t look much like the incarnation of your grace in Jesus. I seek to more fully embrace the Jesus of scripture who sacrificed everything for the sake of the marginalized and rejected of this world. Amen.
