thought provoking article from a colleague

My Friends in Christ:

The current issue of our local edition of the United Methodist Reporter contained an article in the Faith Forum section from a colleague, Rev. Andrew Thompson. The article sturred my soul to evaluate our commitment to Christ and His Church, and I hope the Spirit challenges each of our souls. Rev. Thompson's article is included in its entirety by his permission and permission of UMR. Thank you, Andrew Thompson.

Grace and peace, Pastor Jack

GEN-X RISING: Growing out of a 'country-club commitment'

Andrew C. Thompson, Feb 20, 2007

Ever heard of a "country-club commitment"? It's the kind of commitment people make when they join a country club. First, they shop around looking for the club that has all the right amenities: a nice golf course, a fancy restaurant, indoor tennis courts and a swimming pool for the kids. When they find the country club that suits them best, they join. They show up to play golf and eat at the restaurant when it suits them. And they give money to keep themselves in good standing with the club. Of course, if anything ever happens that really irritates them -- say, a new manager in the Pro Shop that they don't like or another club member who makes a callous remark -- they just withdraw their membership and find another nice club down the road. That's the country-club commitment. But of course, the country-club commitment doesn't just apply to actual country clubs. You can substitute "country club" with the word "church." Change out all the images, too, so that "restaurant" becomes "worship service," "swimming pool" becomes "youth group," and so on. Sound familiar? It should. American Protestants treat their churches like they were made for their entertainment. We approach life in the church as if it existed solely to meet our "needs." We live in the world of the Almighty Individual, where personal prerogative is supreme. And so, we are willing to change churches the way we might decide one day to shop at Macy's instead of JCPenney. It is also an attitude that comes from an almost non-existent understanding of discipleship. For those of you who have joined a church before, do you remember what you pledged? If you joined a United Methodist Church, you made a vow to be loyal to the church and to support it with your prayers, your presence, your gifts and your service. It is a promise that should be considered as serious as our marriage vows. And once we have made it, the only proper reason for a transfer of membership is a permanent move to a city too far to commute on Sundays. In a way, the prevalence of the country-club commitment represents a supreme form of cynicism about the church-a cynicism that says that the church is not about Jesus Christ, rather, it's about me. As I was reminded by a fellow pastor recently, such cynicism is "both easy and empty." It's easy because it only requires a commitment that imitates the standards of the surrounding culture. The cynical Christian is the one whose discipleship hinges on the fragility of his ego. At the slightest instance of discomfort or unhappiness, he pulls up stakes and moves on. And it's empty because those who fall into such cynicism become spiritual nomads. They convince themselves they will be happy and fulfilled when they find the "right" congregation. So they wander from church to church, never realizing that the real problem is with themselves. Such carefully constructed consumer egos do not need to be stroked and coddled; they need to be obliterated. We should remember that the church is the same institution the New Testament calls the Bride of Christ (Rev 21:2). With such a high pedigree, it is unbecoming for us to treat her as a prostitute, to be used and discarded as we see fit. We should also remember that we are a fundamental part of that Bride. Our membership in her does not call for a country-club commitment. It calls for a covenantal commitment, where the pledge made is understood to be lifelong. Only with a covenantal commitment can we begin growing into real Christian maturity. Only then can we resist the temptation to act like petulant children, gathering up our paper dolls and going home when we grow tired or cranky. And only then can we enter into a relationship of true love, forgiveness and reconciliation with our brothers and sisters in the household of faith. Our reward for such maturity will be great indeed: a deeper relationship with the Bridegroom who beckons to us.

The Rev. Thompson is working on a doctoral program at Duke Divinity School. He blogs at www.genxrising.com.

Copyright 2007 UMR Communications. Reprinted with permission."