A Counter-Cultural Church

The main problem we have as Americans is that we think we have to do everything.

As Christians, God calls us to live uncomfortable lives because it keeps us humble. Yet, in our culture so many Christians are working hard to fill their lives with comfort. The more time they spend working, the more of a financial cushion there is for them to sit on.

My mentor at Calvin College asked me, "when did Christianity get so enmeshed with patriotism; when did the two become synonymous?" He showed me a bulletin with the American flag and eagle etched into cover art as well as an advertisement for an upcoming speech by a NASCAR driver. Churches like this better watch their footing carefully. In fact, churches like this are already starting to slip.
There is a man whom I work with here who is a Christian but refuses to be a member of the institutional church because of things like this. I am different from him in that I believe the church is in constant need of reform. The church needs to be continually changing to be aware of how things like culture are affecting the church and its believers.

I am not saying the church is in a stagnant standstill, but I do think the church in America has to watch how its believers are being affected by culture. Of course, there are obvious things that the church will always openly and explicitly warn about, but what about the things that slowly slip in? We are influential beings. Things that surround us daily tend to infiltrate us, no matter how aware we are. The devil likes to act in subtle ways that we are less aware of. These things that we are unaware of slip in on an undetected level.

When I think of things influencing us on an undetected level I, like my mentor, have a question to ask: When did efficiency become so closely associated with Christianity? Efficiency may not be directly endorsed by the church but so many people accept efficiency from American culture as complimentary to their faith. Just because Jesus tells us not to be lazy, doesn't mean we have to join in worship with our society over the idol of efficiency.

Compared to every other culture in the world, Americans are raised to believe work is the reason to live. Maybe it stems out of the Industrial Revolution or the Great Depression, but Christians in America today are foolishly consenting to the over-inflated importance of work. One area I have seen the truth of this is with vacation and travel. Americans only have an average of two weeks of vacation per year, whereas other countries have several weeks more. Also, many capable Americans never leave this country because of insufficient vacation time or reason (it is true, God blessed this country with a vast array of beautiful landscapes, but for the most part, the culture is universal from coast to coast). There are things we can learn from other cultures; things that will help us see ourselves and where we are going.

I was reading a novel this summer and came across a quote that said: "America doesn't export tourists, it exports culture." In other affluent countries, it is typical for people to travel to other countries. When surrounded by other cultures, you begin to look at things in a new way. If we continue to cut ourselves off from other cultures, we will become ignorant of where we are heading.

In the same way, if we fail to watch how the church is changing and being affected by culture, the church is going to be blind to see the direction it is heading. If the church does not see where it is going, history may attempt to repeat itself and the world will need another Martin Luther.

When we look at our own lives, we notice it is hard to be content with what God has blessed us with when we are so busily involved in our culture. However, Paul hints to us that we can be content with something simple: faith. He says: "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

The main problem we have as Americans is that we think we have to do everything. We think everything requires a certain amount of work that needs to be done. It can be exhausting. Christianity is attractive and yet repulsive because we must let go of some of our control. We must acknowledge that it is God doing the work through us; it is God in control. So, even if we have uncomfortable lives by the measure of our society, holding a faith in Jesus that influences everything we do teaches us to give up our control so we can be content with what He has blessed us with.

Someone once told me that Christianity is counter-cultural. If that is so, maybe God is telling you to disregard that old adage, "Early to bed, early to rise..." for the sake of something simple, like having a conversation with someone; a conversation that God may use to change a life. Trust that He will do the work and trust that all you must do is be a vessel through which He can speak.