Consumer Christian #2 - Consumerism

“What can I get out of this?”
One of the biggest dangers of Christianity in the western world is the unwitting adoption of consumerism into our faith. From a consumerist worldview, church is seen as a service provider, and the body of Christ as customers. “What can I get out of this?” rather than “What can I give to this?” is the question asked.

• Does youth group supply what I need?
• What is the target market for this ministry?
• Is small group worth me putting the time in, when I don’t get much out of it?

​​

And sometimes this consumerist attitude is perpetuated by churches, youth groups and ministries. We prepare worship time as entertaining and slick, with the most able people at the front. Sometimes we “bait and switch,” inviting people to a night of entertainment, and BAM! we sneak in a 20 minute talk and the invitees sit uncomfortably. Ministries are event-based aimed to attract people to come; success is measured by the number of people attending and whether they put a 9-10 in the “I found this helpful” category. Church becomes a place of choice rather than commitment; faith becomes an experience of gain rather than sacrifice.

Habits and Rituals
Of course, do not hear me wrong. Aside from “bait and switch,” preparing worship in a helpful and slick way, event-based ministries, numbers of attendees and their feedback are not bad things. But to what sort of habits and rituals are we conforming the church?

• When Sunday services have a pattern of worship as a slick performance, how would church members cope when they move states to a dwindling church where worship includes a guitarist with one string untuned, two children with autism shouting, and an organist who plays too fast?
• When growing our children’s faith follows the pattern of answering the right question and receiving a reward, how would they know that faith includes acts of mercy and a love for obedience?
• When the pattern for a youth event is sitting back and having things done for them, ‘consuming’ food, drinks, skits and games, how would a new generation of Christians inhabit Christ’s attitude of foot-washing and self giving love? (See this video!)

We Are What We Do
Philosopher and Theologian James K. A. Smith tells us that “we are what we do.” Our habits, rituals, postures and patterns of life form us spiritually. And when we forget to critique our ingrained habits that have consumerist values or form us to be consumers, we lead a new generation of believers blindly into committing cultural sins.

Are we consumerist Christians? Characteristics of consumer christians:

• God: I am really only going to come to you when I need help, or when I run out of time to study for an exam, or when I need to discern whether I should date this person. Really, you’re my functional saviour, a vending machine.
• Devotions: I don’t really do my bible reading or prayer, because I never get anything out of it. I’m just waiting for the right moment when I experience the change.
• Church: I’m just church hopping, the last one I went to I didn’t really feel connected with the community, so I’m just looking around to see which Church is right for me.
• Discipleship: Discipleship? Well I don’t feel like I’m fed enough. No one ever discipled me.
• Commitment: Sorry, I can’t come to [insert prior commitment here] this term, because there might be something better to do. (Of course we wouldn’t say that)

​

---