I jumped ship. Never dreamt I would. It took a long time, but I began to discover how the captains on this cruise have ideas around my life which often serve their selfish purposes and I started to see myself recruiting others to do the same. Amazed I was, at the number of mates following suit. Despite my time, money, and energy invested, an exit strategy was desperately needed. It hurt. And if I’m honest, sometimes it still does.
Years ago I was encouraged to read ‘Escape from Christendom’ by Robert Burnell. It’s a short story. 21 pages if memory serves (free online). It tells the tale of a man on a personal journey. Along the path, he discovers “Christian City”. At first glance, it strikes him remarkably (awe and wonder). In time, however…
Easy to see, the many parallels the author draws toward the machine we’ve constructed today. We want to be a part of something big, and convenient - something that says we’re the ones who’ve arrived. “Not too sure about those other guys.” We attach ourselves to leaders/institutions who appear to fill this void. They seem all too happy to accommodate. But to what end?
Culture. Good or bad, it exists in every context. As for me, I was saved in a charismatic environment. Although the dialects differ from church to church, the subliminal undertones shout loudest around this idea that full-time/platform ministry is prime concerning one’s Christendom. While most know better than to air this aloud, our interests along with our actions… What to make of this emphasis we place upon celebrity believers?
Are our eyes on Jesus? Or are we hypnotized by the carrot continually dangling before us? Hold that thought. Have you noticed how much ministerial competition there is these days? As if there weren’t enough rivalry already, we must admit when the technological bomb went off, the level of ‘see me/us, first and most’ exploded in ways we could not imagine. “How far will we go to keep the algorithms in our favor?”
Still adrift; along with the compass of others, I began to clue in on this game we are playing. How the ride continues to spin in place with ever the promises of moving forward, yet with little to no execution. The prophets and evangelists who speak tickling words to maintain their style of life. The sermons which strive to strap us aboard this Merry Go Round. My eyes began to open. My stomach to grow sick. Are we building better people or bigger celebrities and institutions?
‘Abandon ship’ doesn’t mean stop believing. It doesn’t mean to cease attending church. It does mean that we’re looking to God for those who are doing what He is doing. Loving people above fame, fortune, and infrastructure. All the temptations Jesus encountered in the wilderness. If that’s where you’re at, great! Maybe we could take another gaze? Yes, me too.
When I got to the phrase Merry Go Round, I read it as “Mercy Go Round”. Only available in Christian City, by the way.... thanks Ken.