The Simple Pastor
Simplicity & Generosity
The early church: unbelievably generous: I’m reading Henry Chadwick’s history The Early Church and there are some ... http://bit.ly/a5CIUn 12 hrs ago
It is a sign of the consumerist times we live in that ‘retail therapy’ is a familiar part of our vocabulary and Mint.com has an interesting piece (here) about what we gain from a good bit of shopping. Here are a few things that stood out.
Firstly, the simple acknowledgement that the US ‘economy rests on consumption’ and its the same here in the UK. If we can agree on that, it just makes discussion of consumerism much easier. I’ve led seminars or workshops and have been asked often enough whether or not we should consume less if that means someone somewhere is going to end up unemployed. The thinking is that because we have a consumer based economy wouldn’t it be nationally irresponsible if all the Christians started buying less.
If we unpack that a little bit, there’s first at least the implicit agreement that Christians are probably spending their money pretty much like everyone else. Secondly, that our first responsibility is towards our national government (it’s not) and thirdly that giving isn’t actually a form of ‘spending’ (it is).
The article then reminds of the addictive nature of shopping, finding a ‘bargain’ triggers all the same nerve centres in the brain as drug addiction of compulsive behaviour. The shops know it just not all the shoppers. The paragraph ends with this telling line, ‘And it’s not even the material good that necessarily brings the joy—it’s often simply the anticipation of the find.’
Which is true, the actual item isn’t always the point of shopping, it’s the anticipation, the hope, the dreams that it fuels and the expectation that a little slice of happiness can be found with a swipe of the visa. Of course this is therapy we’re talking about not grocery shopping. We need therapy when we’re sad, when we’re sad we’re more self-centred and when we’re more self-centred we spend more on ourselves. In a consumer society then it’s in the national interest for us all to be slightly depressed.
Then a professor from the US says that in the run up to Christmas ‘shopping can act as a balm for those suffering from depression, anxiety, and loneliness during the holidays.’ But not a long-lasting balm, just one to get you through to January.
If the church is to be salt and light and is going to influence culture at all we must learn how to be an alternative community in a consumer society and not just a slightly less consumerist one.
Read the Mint post here
Today I have the privilege of joining the good people of All Souls Langham Place during their church week away in these wonderful surroundings to talk with them about the above title. The Rector of All Souls, Hugh Palmer did a very good series called Cash and the Christian (Do a sermon search for the series, you may need to register). Not sure what I can add, but we’ll see. Looking forward to it. Prayers would be appreciated.
Richard Docwra over at Life Squared gives an interesting dissection of this article from the NY Times. Here’s a taster:
“There are glimmers of clarity in the article – for example, the opening paragraphs discuss a couple’s journey of downsizing their income, consumption and debts, in order to get the life and jobs they want. It ends with the wise observation from one partner ‘I really believe that the acquisition of material goods doesn’t bring about happiness’.”
And ends with this:
“Perhaps it is asking too much of the business section of a mainstream publication to question the pursuit of wealth and consumption, but it is a shame to see an article start so promisingly and then miss the point so spectacularly.”
Read the whole thing
Tim Challies had an interesting piece reflecting on how history may look back on this part of church history. He reflects on three areas which he considers blindspots – abortion, creation care and slavery. This is interesting because it’s not the thing you’d normally expect to hear from Tim Challies (well not the second two anyway).
Here’s what he says at the end of the paragraph on slavery.
“Our culture of consumption, our sheer greed seems to fly in the face of God’s commands that we live free from the captivity of possessions. How will history judge us when they see the homes of North American Christians bursting at the seams with stuff—with clothes and electronics and furniture—manufactured by impoverished brothers and sisters a continent or two away?”
Read the whole thing
Here’s a song for Saturday. Every now and then the lyrics of a song really grab you. If you know of any other songs that deal with consumerism let me know. This one is from Delirious? The lyrics are beneath the two videos.
This 3 minute video gives the motivation
This one gives you the song
Save me save me
From the kingdom of comfort where I am king
From my unhealthy lust of material things
I built myself a happy home
In my palace on my own
My castle falling in the sand
Pull me out, please grab my hand
I just forgot where I came from
Save me save me
From the kingdom of comfort where I am king
From my unhealthy lust of material things
I rob myself of innocence
With the poison of indifference
I buy my stuff at any cost
A couple of clicks and I pay the price
Coz what I gain is someone else’s loss
Save me save me
From the kingdom of comfort where I am king
From my unhealthy lust of material things
Save me save me
From the kingdom of comfort where I am king
To this kingdom of heaven where you are king
Here’s a good observation from Gary McMurray after watching some TV. I think he’s right when he says,
“For the TV channel and its advertisers, really there’s no choice in lifestyle – everyone should be pushing for materialism.”
Which is why as Christians we need to exercise discernment when we watch the box. And why it’s good when Christians all over the world think about things like this
Mark Meynell links to a 4 sermon series by Hugh Palmer at All Souls Langham Place on ‘Cash and the Christian’. This is (IMHO) absolutely spot on,
“I was particularly struck by this simple point which came up more than once in the series: every time we give, we take one more step in the process of releasing the grip of materialism”
Have a listen
Skye Jethani writes an excellent piece on how consumer brands compete with religion. Here are some killler blows…
“Many Christians believe the greatest threat to the church today is postmodernity. Others zero in on relativism. Some believe the enemy is secular humanism. Others think it’s Islam. I disagree with all of these. In my view, the greatest challenge facing the contemporary church is consumerism.”
And
“Without question one of the most potent brands in America today is Apple, and new research has shown that Apple has achieved the same impact on the human brain as religion.”
And
“But if people, including Christians, are constructing their identities and lives around consumer brands like Apple, is the church fighting the wrong battle? And perhaps more disturbing, are we unknowingly contributing to the problem by encouraging Christians to construct and express their identities via Christ-branded merchandise rather than through characters transformed to reflect the values of Christ himself?”
A conversation with activist Micah White who writes for Adbusters. It’s a 17 minute video but has some interesting ideas
So last Thursday about 40 people gathered together from a variety of churches to think about freedom. What does it mean to be free? The event was part of the Breathe network’s Conspiracy of Freedom tour.
We worshipped, listened to my friend Mark Powley on consumerism and freedom, and then we watched this video
(let me know what you think)
Then we talked and it was just encouraging to see people engage with ways we can live that go against the culture and towards generosity and simplicity. Try it out for yourself, it’s liberating.
This video is pretty scary if you’re a parent (or more so if you hope to be one in the future)
HT: Challies
Which is why it’s important what we teach our kids about money (click here for a summary). We live in age of unparalleled consumer credit, where technology is inescapable and there’s no reason to expect that to change much any time soon.
So, if you live anywhere near Shrewsbury, you might want to come to this event next Thursday (facebook event)to learn more about how we can live well in a consumer culture, we need a conspiracy of freedom. Do come if you can, I’m sure it’s going to be a great night.
In 2004 I became one of the owners of a Christian bookshop. I believed that there was a place for a business that made Christian books, resources, music and most importantly the Bible readily available on the High Street. The selection of Bibles in your average Waterstones or WH Smith is, after all, not too great.
I believed that this shop could have a different ‘spirit’ to it, run (as best we could) with Christian values, that could offer employment and most importantly be a place that was a witness to non-believers and an encouragement to the family of God.
In this I think we have in some measure succeeded. Recently a woman gave her life to Christ right there in the shop, others have been prayed for, found encouragement and a listening ear. The coffee shop is beginning to provide a venue for fellowship and friendship. Not to mention those who have found the Word of God, resources to build faith, strengthen marriages, give generously, be creative, and live wholeheartedly for God. The stories continue to grow.
I hoped it would succeed and provide me with the opportunity to be generous with the proceeds and on this front we have failed. It’s a tough word failed, but when it comes to making money this bookshop has done the opposite. It’s been frustrating, confusing and painful. I was sure, I am sure that it was the Lord who led me to take on this old business and give it new life. In my head I know the life of even one soul who has found Christ is worth more than tens of thousands, my heart and bank balance struggle to agree.
There are a number of frustrations. I get cross with Christians who tick us off for selling say a Joyce Meyer book or The Shack because they think its theology is dodgy and then go and buy stuff from Amazon which sells any old godless crap. I get frustrated by the lack of reading and hunger to learn about our faith (it’s just such a wasted opportunity). I’m bothered by a belief that penny pinching somehow equals good stewardship, and upset that some churches think they have a divine right to a discount.
Anyway my time as the owner of a Christian bookshop is soon to come to an end but not I hope for the bookshop. I’m hoping that the Christians of Shrewsbury (and further afield) will see the vision I have, see the reasons why there should be illumination, light on the high street, why it’s important to help someone in person find a copy of the Bible they can read or give and will buy shares in a new charitable trust in order that not just the bookshop but the mission of the business can carry on. This video explains the campaign more
Help keep the light shining from Illuminate Trust on Vimeo.
If you want more information you can find out more by emailing trust@illuminatebooks.co.uk.
HT: To Andy & Gareth for plugs on their blogs
Found quite a few links on my favourite theme of the perils of consumerism. So here they are
But perhaps above all as Christians we should pray the prayer of living beautifully and let lives of generosity start with us
*This is the third in my series looking at why consumerism is an issue for Christians – intro, part 1*
The words ‘remember the poor’ ring loud in the Bible (Gal 2:10) and in recent years have had plenty of resonance in the movement of churches I belong to. The Lausanne Paper: An Evangelical Commitment to Simple Life-style which is stirring me greatly at the moment says,
“We are shocked by the poverty of millions, and disturbed by the injustices which cause it.” One quarter of the world’s population enjoys unparalleled prosperity, while another quarter endures grinding poverty. This gross disparity is an intolerable injustice,—we refuse to acquiesce in it.”
I agree with that but the reason why Christians in the the rich nations of the world should be far more concerned about consumerism than they currently are, is not because of the poor. (more…)
*This is the second (the first is more of an intro here) post into ‘why I think consumerism should be a big deal for Christians*
It’s quite a headline really, when you stop to think about it. Pretty much everything these days seems to be about the environment. Climate change was one of the themes of the last decade and will be one for the next ten years too. If you’re sick of hearing about it, talking about it, thinking about it then I have some bad news for you, in all likelihood this train is only just beginning to pull.
There are massive forces at work reshaping the way our world works (and some fairly hefty forces resisting any such change), but governments (and importantly most of the big ones) are slowly changing too. Take recycling waste for example, almost everyone in the UK deals with household waste differently to ten years ago, more is recycled than ever and looking forward you’ll have increasingly less choice in the matter. Recycling will be what we all do, what we have to do.
Laws will make your cars more energy efficient, increasing numbers of electric vehicles will begin to appear, hybrids will change our petrol stations. Already incentives are available for households to generate electricity and grants available to reduce waste through insulation and new boilers. These are just a few of the ways your life is changing because scientists and governments believe our climate is changing (and not really for the better).
Tied to all of this political drive are the cultural battles taking place, those preparing for a brave new world where cars are obsolete, travel is restricted and everything gets local. It’s a back to the future kind of approach, a blending of nostalgia for ages past and a hopeful mix of new technology and thinking. At the same time a sizeable majority are appalled at the idea of not being able to buy strawberries in winter or driving to the shops in a 4×4. Development agencies are lobbying, oil companies are lobbying back. It’s grassroots against big business.
At the heart of much of the campaigning for change is the belief that our current way of living in developed nations is unsustainable, we simply can’t go on like this, goes the thinking. We buy too much, waste too much, need so little. This is mostly true. This is at the heart of consumerism. (more…)
Donald Miller thinks so or does he? In this post on commercialism and faith he says,
“Commercials are simply an exchange of information about the availability of products and services. The idea of a commercial is, in my opinion, morally neutral.”
But what he goes on to say undermines this morally neutral idea, so he says about adverts that,
“these images and messages are designed to cause to you think of your life as incomplete…Rather than being satisfied, a person begins to believe their life is lacking, whether it is actually lacking or not.”
That,
“The idea is to convince you that you aren’t going to be happy unless you purchase something. And make no mistake, this is a powerful manipulative tool.” (his emphasis)
So how can something be morally neutral if it is a manipulative tool, aimed at making you dissatisfied and discontented, and that your life is both lacking and incomplete? If that is what an advert is, it is more than just passing on information. If that is what an advert is, it’s hard to see how it can be morally neutral. So is that what an advert is?
I occasionally get frustrated at the relationship between the church and consumerism. On the one hand lots of our best authors, thinkers and leaders have named it and shamed it and on the other hand it seems to have made no change to the way we live. At all.
I also get frustrated by the perception that this is not an important issue or worse still it’s an issue of the left, so being against consumerism makes me automatically a communist. That perception (and I am willing to admit that it might be just me) really bugs me.
So here begins a series on why consumerism is an issue all Christians should be concerned about. I’ll cover topics such as ‘It’s not about the environment’, ‘It’s not about the poor’, ‘It’s not about politics’, ‘It is about the Gospel’
I’ve been reading my way through the Lausanne Paper on Simple Living. It’s rich and deep well to draw from. Full of Biblical reflection, mission mindedness, compassionate hearts and a desire to live faithful to Jesus’ teachings. Here’s one of the many challenges:
“We intend to reexamine our income and expenditure, in order to manage on less and give away more. We lay down no rules or regulations, for either ourselves or others. Yet we resolve to renounce waste and oppose extravagance in personal living, clothing and housing, travel and church buildings. We also accept the distinction between necessities and luxuries, creative hobbies and empty status symbols, modesty and vanity, occasional celebrations and normal routine, and between the service of God and slavery to fashion. Where to draw the line requires conscientious thought and decision by us, together with members of our family. Those of us who belong to the West need the help of our Third World brothers and sisters in evaluating our standards of spending.”
“…in a society which worships material prosperity, Jesus commands us to worship God and to invest in heaven’s treasures. This means having a mindset at odds with the materialistic consumerism of our age. It means believing that ‘a person’s life does not consist in the abundance of their possessions’ (Luke 12:16), in defiance of the claims of the advertising agencies. In a society where 6year olds are teased for not wearing the right brand of trainers, this is profoundly counter-cultural and will not be easy.”
- Simon Coupland, Success
Why is it that if John Stott, Ron Sider, Tim Keller, Randy Alcorn, Tim Chester, Jim Wallis, Craig Blomberg, Tom Sine, Rob Bell, Shane Claiborne, Skye Jethani, Graham Cray, Richard Foster, Dave Bookless, Ruth Valerio, Dave Toycen, Michael Wakely, Matthew Sleeth, Brian Rosner, John Ortberg, Greg Dutcher have all written books (at least in part) about the dangers of consumerism, that the church still doesn’t get it?
I believe Jesus when he said 'life does not consist in the abundance of our possessions'. I believe he offers something better. This blog is mostly about that search.
I'm also a church pastor, a bookshop owner, a husband, a father, a keen runner, reader, and motorcyclist. These and a few other things make guest appearances from time to time.