There is a lot of judgment in the church, a lot of holier-than-thou thinking across all denominations in the Christian church. We Christians like to set our self as different from the Jews in that we are under grace and not under the law. And yet we are blind, blinded by our own arrogance and self-righteous attitudes, in our individualistic and materialistic thinking. We are very concerned with us, how great we are doing, how well others see us… or at least how great others perceive us to be.
We have taken this thinking into our churches.
We have taken this thinking into our faith communities.
We have taken this into our personal time between us and God.
We, who once were so taken aback by the unlimited love and grace of God, who worked so hard to "attain" where we are spiritually, so often have the urge to lead other people into our own journey of faith, instead of their own… to tell them our way, our belief, our journey is the only correct way and route.
How do we do this?
In the church, this isn’t usually done directly but indirectly and passively. It begins when children are young and told not to question those in authority, the elders; then over time it seeps into us as we are teenagers and told things like we should never watch rated-R movies or listen to Rock music no questions asked. We are told certain things are secular and certain things are sacred.
No Discussion.
We have taken this thinking into our churches.
We have taken this thinking into our faith communities.
We have taken this into our personal time between us and God.
We, who once were so taken aback by the unlimited love and grace of God, who worked so hard to "attain" where we are spiritually, so often have the urge to lead other people into our own journey of faith, instead of their own… to tell them our way, our belief, our journey is the only correct way and route.
How do we do this?
In the church, this isn’t usually done directly but indirectly and passively. It begins when children are young and told not to question those in authority, the elders; then over time it seeps into us as we are teenagers and told things like we should never watch rated-R movies or listen to Rock music no questions asked. We are told certain things are secular and certain things are sacred.
No Discussion.
This is How it Begins.
Then as we get older we see how some other members of the church are involved in so many programs and it is suggested that we too come to the church multiple times a week. Forget your personality, your life, and your personal callings and growth; you are told this will be good for you, the church, make you happy, and grow you closer to God. This is a lie. Certainly getting more involved in church is never wrong; however, you can also suffer from the Martha complex of believing that busy-ness equals greater spirituality and maturity (LK 10:38-42). Not so. Jesus told Martha to look and learn from Mary. There must be a balance there and a question regarding our motivations when being so involved, are we feelings called by God or do we want others to see us doing spiritual things.
Then as we get older we see how some other members of the church are involved in so many programs and it is suggested that we too come to the church multiple times a week. Forget your personality, your life, and your personal callings and growth; you are told this will be good for you, the church, make you happy, and grow you closer to God. This is a lie. Certainly getting more involved in church is never wrong; however, you can also suffer from the Martha complex of believing that busy-ness equals greater spirituality and maturity (LK 10:38-42). Not so. Jesus told Martha to look and learn from Mary. There must be a balance there and a question regarding our motivations when being so involved, are we feelings called by God or do we want others to see us doing spiritual things.
To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” – Luke 18:9-14
Then a person stands up in front of church and speaks about their hour
long quiet time reading and studying scripture each day, followed by a
four hour long prayer time. Forget that this man is retired and decided
to do this personally, we are swept up in the image of doing something
so sacred for so long, as if it is something we cannot attain but strangely find ourselves feeling guilty for not spending so much time
in the word and prayer ourselves. Forget that we helped our friend
move into their new place last weekend. Forget that we have have work or
some of us have children to attend to every day.
It continues.
I was once in a group where I let it be known I didn’t not have a passport, which is no big deal for me, since I don’t particularly have money for any fancy vacations and haven’t ever heard God calling me to a foreign country. Well, someone in the group who has a heart for missions expressed verbal and emotional disapproval on how a minister “should” have a passport because he "should" be doing international missions. This happened in front of a group of friends, some who had been on mission and some who had not. I just answered that I have never been called to go on the mission field. I don’t think she agreed that was a valid excuse, likely thinking I was running from God and being selfish.
I was once in a group where I let it be known I didn’t not have a passport, which is no big deal for me, since I don’t particularly have money for any fancy vacations and haven’t ever heard God calling me to a foreign country. Well, someone in the group who has a heart for missions expressed verbal and emotional disapproval on how a minister “should” have a passport because he "should" be doing international missions. This happened in front of a group of friends, some who had been on mission and some who had not. I just answered that I have never been called to go on the mission field. I don’t think she agreed that was a valid excuse, likely thinking I was running from God and being selfish.
Let me say this:
When foreign missions are more important than local missions, our community suffers.
Think about that. Let it seep in...
Lastly, an example from my youth minister days. I once had an older male member of the church come and ask me if he could be my mentor. he told me at a very vulnerable and difficult time in my own life, that he saw how I was hurting and could help me, help me to get myself in order, to even help me financially, but I'd have to accept his mentor-ship, his leadership, basically his right-ness. I told him I would think about it but couldn’t get over the sick feeling in my gut telling me this wouldn’t be a good thing.
Honestly, I’ve only ever had an official mentor except for one semester in college and then once in seminary for a class. Never own my own have I had a mentor. I've had friends and family, brothers and sisters in the faith who I sought for advice, but never one person. I find my learning from CS Lewis, Lee Strobel, Richard J. Foster, Richard J. Foster, Francis Chan, Brian McLaren, Tony Campolo, and the like - these are my teachers. A mentor is a person wants to make you a mini-them but a spiritual director, according to men like Foster, is a person who comes alongside you, sees your gifts, and helps you develop those gifts and mature in your faith. I have many, not one, who help me in this role.
In that sense though, aren’t we all spiritual directors to one another, helping to encourage one another to strive forward, to persevere in our faith. At least, isn’t that what we should be? How do we get this wrong? Why do we want to put our walk, our answers, our thinking upon others and unpack that as right spirituality? Shouldn’t we be using Jesus as the example, not ourselves?
Have you ever met a Modern-Day Pharisee?
Have you ever caught yourself becoming or being one towards someone else?
What happened?
~ Daniel Brockhan
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When foreign missions are more important than local missions, our community suffers.
Think about that. Let it seep in...
Lastly, an example from my youth minister days. I once had an older male member of the church come and ask me if he could be my mentor. he told me at a very vulnerable and difficult time in my own life, that he saw how I was hurting and could help me, help me to get myself in order, to even help me financially, but I'd have to accept his mentor-ship, his leadership, basically his right-ness. I told him I would think about it but couldn’t get over the sick feeling in my gut telling me this wouldn’t be a good thing.
Honestly, I’ve only ever had an official mentor except for one semester in college and then once in seminary for a class. Never own my own have I had a mentor. I've had friends and family, brothers and sisters in the faith who I sought for advice, but never one person. I find my learning from CS Lewis, Lee Strobel, Richard J. Foster, Richard J. Foster, Francis Chan, Brian McLaren, Tony Campolo, and the like - these are my teachers. A mentor is a person wants to make you a mini-them but a spiritual director, according to men like Foster, is a person who comes alongside you, sees your gifts, and helps you develop those gifts and mature in your faith. I have many, not one, who help me in this role.
In that sense though, aren’t we all spiritual directors to one another, helping to encourage one another to strive forward, to persevere in our faith. At least, isn’t that what we should be? How do we get this wrong? Why do we want to put our walk, our answers, our thinking upon others and unpack that as right spirituality? Shouldn’t we be using Jesus as the example, not ourselves?
Have you ever met a Modern-Day Pharisee?
Have you ever caught yourself becoming or being one towards someone else?
What happened?
~ Daniel Brockhan
Did you enjoy?
Please Like or Share.
To Subscribe Follow the Links on the Side (turn off Ad Blockers if you have them).
Daniel
ReplyDeleteHey, I just wanted to drop in with some words on your post. I certainly resonate experientially with much of what you describe here. I would say you rightly identify the kind of legalism, individualism, authoritarianism, programism, elitism, and romanticism that resides in the blindspot of many church systems produced in modernity and is (perhaps unintentionally) perpetuated by business as usual approach and intensified by the tendency to hunker down defensively in postmodern post-christendom. As Ricoeur would say, your post “gave rise to thought” for me (ie, it brought things to mind that spurred on deep reflection as a result) and I encountered some questions along the way. The first three points below are, I hope, a friendly critique, and then an addition and a caution (I will do my best to keep the word count manageable!).
First, I wonder if there is a misrepresentation of the Pharisees here based on misinformation about them and a lack of understanding of Judaism (especially in our own ecclesial background). Should the Pharisees be our legalist fall guys? I think its probably unfair to them and prevents them from speaking with their own voice, but as well obscures the true nature Jesus’ conflict with them. Now, I’ve gone the rounds over this with folks before and it’s a tough paradigm to break. So, rather than writing everything out here let me just direct you to two links from Scot McKnight’s blogs where he deals with this issue directly. The first is a repost of one called “Pharisees: Revisiting an Old Problem” in response to a BARNA study and is especially good IMO. I think he makes a good case but you can see what you think.
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/jesuscreed/2013/05/01/the-pharisees-my-response-to-the-new-barna-study/
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/jesuscreed/2013/06/04/nos-and-yess-on-the-pharisees/
Second, on the same track, I also wonder of we aren’t just too hard on Martha in general – going so far to name a ‘complex’ after her (and thus attribute that complex to her as well). There is a terrible evangelical tendency to judge and psychoanalyze biblical characters on modern categories before reading these people in their own contexts. I will simply point out here that while the text in Luke does draw a contrast between Martha and Mary, while it makes a dramatic point in a sermon, I’m not so sure the point is that Martha considers her busyness to mean she is somehow “more spiritual or mature.” I would say there are other things going on here extending from the Jewish context and in the Greek there is no sense of rebuke in Jesus’ words to her. When read in what we might call the “key of Luke” (especially along with John) this passage is actually revolutionary. And we’ll miss this with more ‘spiritualized’ (or perhaps better stated, psychologized) readings.
Third, while I resonated experientially with much of your post, the distinction between mentor and spiritual director struck me as very subjective. In your experience with (the perhaps well meaning) older guy, it sounds like you made the right move. The relational aspect simply wasn’t there. There are certainly some bad models of mentorship out there, as well as rather thin notions of spiritual direction. But I’m not sure mentorship is all about producing mini-me’s. I say this because the very people that have been mentors to me have not been like this at all, the opposite in fact. In my relationship to these people the distinction between ‘mentor’ and ‘spiritual director’ was (and is) all but dissolved. As a result, I think we need some better thinking and praxis for mentorship and spiritual direction, but I wonder of the dichotomy posed here is too stark?
(Continued...)
ReplyDeleteFourth, I think your passport experience demonstrates well the pitfalls of much of traditional evangelical (and particularly Baptist) approaches to missions. I still cringe when I hear talk of being “missions minded.” Modern missions and evangelism praxis tends to create a scenario wherein the ‘target audience’ becomes somewhat of a special ‘project.’ What goes by the name of the ‘missional’ movement (Lesslie Newbigin, et al) has tried to fight much of the colonialism of modern missions/evangelism. You are very correct that when foreign missions is more important than local missions, our community suffers. But as well, and this is important lest we make our community our ‘project’, I keep coming back to the importance of simply being a friend and neighborliness. I think it is a huge gap when Christians no longer see the skill of being a good neighbor as an essential part of their own spirituality and Jesus shaped mission (love your neighbor as yourself!).
Fifth, (and I will end with this as I’ve gotten much too longwinded) I would offer a caution to beware of blindspots. The legalism, individualism, authoritarianism, programism, elitism, and romanticism I spoke of earlier IMO are a product of Christendom structures of modernity that rushed in to the vacuum (and often operate invisibly as it were) created by the lack of cruciform and ecclesial imaginations (which we need to recover). As the old paradigms are being reassessed, I always caution folks to be reflectively aware of their own blindspots, lest we end up recapitulating the same things as we are critiquing. One of the biggest blindspots, especially as our culture ever more accepts and adopts the language of modern therapeutic psychology, is individualism. Even as ‘community’ becomes a buzzword, its hard to find anyone who knows how to do ‘community.’ And the blindspot is particularly evident in the way we in the West speak of the ‘person’ and the ‘personal’ as interchangeable with ‘individual.’ It reveals a paradigm in which the individual self is wholly prior and ‘essential,’ where others can actually be viewed as a threat (rather than contributing) to my own ‘personhood,’ and where things like relationality are not essential to human existence but rather add ons if I happen to choose them. Fortunately, in postmodernity this has come under strong critique in an attempt to release ‘person’ from its equivalency with the ‘individual.’ Much of this has been the recovery of early Christian sources which viewed personhood as essentially relational – basically, ‘to be’ is ‘to be in relation’ (ie, John Zizioulas and see Grenz as well). I think if we’re going have a cogent ecclesiology in post-christendom, we’re going to have to confront this blind spot and recover a fully relational and communal view of personhood (in line with this I tend now to try to be consciously aware of how I use the word ‘personal’).
Thanks for reading this far and indulging me. I know there is a lot here and I don’t want you to feel obliged to respond to it all (you probably have better things you need to do). These are some thoughts that you post stirred for me and that I hope might me fruitful for you in time.
Peace be with you.
Some really great thoughts here Russel, im sorry it took me so long to respond, blogspot neglects to tell me/msg me for new comments for some reason.
ReplyDeleteAs usual, you bring much more thought and depth to this than I had thoughts about. Regarding Pharisees and Martha, I think you are right. I think when we speak of them as characters or archetypes of a certain type of person, we must remember that is an image or an image of one person, so not every Pharisee was legalistic and not every busy person is too busy for God. In fact, some of us who dont like being so busy, like myself, learn a lot from those who are more devoted and sacrificial with their personal time.
Thanks so much for your thoughts here!
~ Daniel B.