Consuming Jesus

I have been reading Consuming Jesus: Beyond Race and Class Divisions in a Consumer Church by Paul Louis Metzger. It is a very provocative read.  Metzger's premise is that white, middle-class, Evangelicals, especially in our pursuit of church growth, have capitulated to consumerism, individualism, and preference and have reinforced the divisions of racialization and classism that the Gospel seeks to tear down. In that, we are actually working against Jesus and the effects of His Gospel by perpetuating walls of division between believers. Instead of making things better, our systems actually make things worse. He takes a specific aim at the Homogenous Unit Principle (HUP), which states that churches grow fastest when they are focused on one specific subculture so that those who are targeted will not have to deal with any prejudice. They can come to church and be with people just like them, not upsetting any of their preconceived ideas. This view states that the gospel is the main thing and that we should not deal with social issues. Metzger says that the gospel does deal with social issues however (see Eph. 2:11-18), and that it tears down dividing walls between groups that have been historically divided for one reason or another.

Metzger addresses the preponderance of small groups among contemporary evangelical churches and says that these small groups only make things worse because they are almost solely focused on the personal preference of those attending:

Homogenous churches and care groups can easily - even though inadvertently - promote and preserve middle-class conservative values. Confronting race and class divisions lacks importance when this value and motivation is present implicitly or explicitly; and confronting the problems becomes counterproductive to the main goal of catering to a middle-or upper-middle-class target audience for Christ. Those targeted would quickly lose interest in Christ and that particular church if it were to suddenly gain interest in addressing these issues. However, while the church may gain that group in the short term, it may be found guilty of blaspheming God's name among the gentiles in the long term, as one lay leader said of his own successful church's homgenous ways when awakened to these issues. 

I think that Metzger makes some good points and they are points that I have made before. I am much more hopeful than he is, though. I think that many Evangelicals really do want to follow God and to obey Him. Yes, we are selfish and stubborn. We want comfort and what we think is best for us. But, for a very long time, we have also been told that that is what Christianity is ultimately about - us following God to have a good life, a good marriage, a good family, a good job, prosperity, health, and inner peace. Who would not want all of that? The problem is that those things, while good, have replaced Jesus as our goal and source of life. I think that things are changing, however. I think that many Evangelicals are tired of just getting their needs met. They are seeing that there is more to the Christian life than their own satisfaction or spiritual success as it has been defined by the "teachers." At least I think that they are. I am seeing that transformation occur in our church.

The Gospel tears down dividing walls between believers. It does not just get us into heaven. It is the Gospel of the Kingdom and it announces the reign and rule of God. It is good news and it changes things - turning the world upside down. We have to begin to articulate the message that our salvation is not just about "me and Jesus," but rather, it is so much more. We are saved to be ambassadors for Christ - His representatives in a fallen world. 

I like Metzger's book. It will shake you up on multiple levels. I hope to review more of it as time goes by. This call against consumerism, personal preference, and individualism in the church is getting louder and louder and it is one that we need to heed. 

Comments

[Mich]

I agree--I think the call is getting louder. As Paul says, "We preach Christ CRUCIFIED."

Nice post.

[Todd]

One of my good reads of last year. Got a review copy and was not disappointed.