The Change of Conversion and the Origin of Christendom, by Alan Kreider.
Money, Sex, and Power. I have heard it said that these three reasons can be tied to the subconcious motivations for the majority of people who become pastors. At first, like many who would hear this, I thought it to be the most absurd statement I've ever heard. But I've been thinking about it ever since. If you think back to the previous articles, Money and Power, themed big in the modern church. Where does sex play into it? Just pick up 100 recent popular newpaper articles on the church, and you'll find a disturbingly high amount of articles about sex.
What was more surprising was that this phrase was originally coined by Justin, the early church father. As re-appropriated by Kreider, "Justin urged the Christians to resist the demon's power in three areas to which across the centuries pastoral theologians have been attuned - money, sex, and power . . . " (Pg. 5 of his book). It seems these three themes are closely attuned to the trade. This quote is in the context of a discussion about Justin's view of Christian conversion.
And so the church most therefore be weary of these three things, for they seem to be married each to the other.
My quesiton is, has the modern church fought these shore-line sirens or embraced them? Yes or no, the next question is, how can the church move to a position where these themes are no longer such a threat? Is it possible? Can you imagine a church where the statistics of pastoral infidelity are actually decreasing? Where churches don't increase in wealth and size, while at the same time surrounded by communities who remain poor and oppressed? Where a pastor's average income is not significantly more than the average income in the parish, on par with that of a CEO?
2 Cor 8:13-1413 Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality.14 At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality,(NIV)
1Thes 2:5-105 You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed-- God is our witness.6 We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else. As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you,7 but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children.8 We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.9 Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.10 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.(NIV)
Gal 2:1010 All they asked (the apostles) was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.(NIV)
But Justin goes on to describe what conversion means to him: "We who once took most pleasure in the means of increasing our wealth and property now bring what we have into a common fund and share with everyone in need." Imagine that! Ha! I can picture the people of "my" church, each with their debit card, walking to the front of the alter, and DRAINING it, into a green machine, while on the other side, there are poor single moms, also with a debit card, making withdrawls for groceries that week. The reason why our nation has welfare is because the church stopped taking care of the poor in the modern era. The reason why the nation doesn't talk to us about the poor anymore is because the state is doing what we used to. Why should they? The Salvation Army collects more in shopping mall lobbies for the poor than the average Sunday morning offering. We have, after all, to pay for all that brick and mortar.
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I like the article, and I think I agree with the emphasis on Money, Sex, and Power. The three are almost interrelated and inseperable, and the church has certainly not escaped their snares. I wonder if it is even possible given our modern protestant formation. What exactly do protestant churchs do to free themsleves from the lure of power and money, and from the insistant reality of human sexuality, so blatantly advertised and celebrated in our society? Clearly growth groups and bible studies don't suffice.
ReplyDeleteThe statement "The reason why our nation has welfare is because the church stopped taking care of the poor in the modern era" strikes me as interesting. I don't know the history of our welfare system - perhaps christians stopped giving because their social conscience so affect government that it too became concerned for the poor? I don't know, but I don't think it is a bad thing that the government is helping the poor (even if the government is poor at it). Besides, even christians (well, okay, some) pay taxes, which in turn pay's for welfare - so christians are still giving to the poor, but the circumstances and structure is different from early church. It is less deliberate, if not less in amount.
The modern church doesn't seem particularily interested in being free from money, sex, and power. It is a willing slave to its not so subtle masters. It's too bad the church can't live up to its billing. People in or people out of it - is there really a difference? Perhaps the only difference is that those out aren't pretending to offer something they have not been able to provide.
yeah, that is a good point, about the source of welfare in our nation. i'm not sure as to the particulars of that source, but I'm pretty confident that Christians had a strong role to play in its development. but somewhere along the line, care for the poor in our society became more associated with the government, than it did with the Protestant churches. Although there are beautiful examples of churches who discount this notion, I still think that generally it is true. too many churches worry about their operating budget while people in their congregation cry themselves to sleep at night, wondering where they are going to pay the heating bill.
ReplyDeleteNo doubt there are churchs and individuals within church's that do care for the poor. I do think the majority of church's are middle class, and although there are some, most aren't starving or loosing their houses. THe ones that are are trying so hard to appear fine, that it is hard for the average church attender to even see them. STill, I agree. The churhc as a whole is caught up with power, sex, and money. I mentioned once to a pastor of a large toronto church that there are a lot of hurting people in the congregation - his response was that no, that's not true - it's a healthy, happy church.
ReplyDeleteIt's too easy to get lost and to sweep the needy under the carpet. Fortunatley, the church has in th past so influenced society that the government, the representative of the people, has taken an interest through welfare, healthcare etc...