Kingdom Living

I’ve recently been reading the book, Religious Literacy, by Steve Prothero, and this passage has stuck with me the over the last few days:

Half a century ago, in Protestant-Catholic-Jew (1955), sociologist Will Herberg wrote that “the religion which actually prevails among Americans today has lost much of its authentic Christian (or Jewish) content.” The postwar religious revival, which saw church membership and attendance rates rocket to all-time highs, came according to Herberg at a cost. And the cost was religious content. In conforming themselves to American culture, Protestantism, Catholicism, and Judaism had become little more than parallel paths up the mountain of the American dream. Instead of quaking in the presence of the Almighty, Herberg observed, Americans blithely pledged their allegiance to “religion that makes religion its own object.” In the process Protestantism, Catholicism, and Judaism became, at least in their American incarnations, “so empty and contentless, so conformist, so utilitarian, so sentimental, so individualistic, and so self-righteous.”

The content of this quote is great, but what intrigues me is that this was said in 1955. I’ve lived on this earth for 23 years now, and I’m really just coming to this realization of how much of the “church” is lined up with the American dream. Herberg saw this 53 years ago. Why have these realizations not changed the way we articulate the gospel? or, more importantly, why has it not changed the way we live out our faith? The American dream tells us to get educated and make a lot of money, settle down in a big house, have a few kids, and live happily ever after. The scripture calls us to live sacrificially, depending on Jesus and our fellow believers. The scripture seems to me to indicate that we should be living freely, not in the chains of the debt we find ourselves because of all the “stuff” we’re trying to accumulate.

I’ve lived much of my life trying to achieve this dream. I’ve got my house, my wife, my kid, and my two cars. I found myself on the track to full time ministry. I would be this great youth pastor and have 200 kids in my youth group, and it would be great. I still don’t think that would be a bad gig in some sense, but lately God has been telling me I need to check my ego at the door.  It’s not about what I think is best but what He thinks is best. As my wife and I were having a conversation the other day about moving next door to some friends of ours because we want to be somewhere and make a difference, the Holy Spirit said something to me and through me that I am so grateful for and am really starting to believe, “IT COULD TAKE 30 YEARS . WHO KNOWS, WE’VE JUST GOT TO BE SO COMMITTED TO THE MISSION THAT IF THIS IS ALL WE DO AND AT THE END OF THE DAY WE CAN LOOK BACK AND SEE PLACE X LOOK RADICALLY DIFFERENT BECAUSE THE KINGDOM WAS ABLE TO BREAK IN, THEN THAT’S ENOUGH.”

My only question is, if Herberg saw this problem 53 years ago and nothing has happened, how do we make sure that in 50 years somebody isn’t saying these same things about me? How do we break the “religious” cycle and really begin to see our faith change things?