Archive for the ‘Metrospiritual’ category

"Show Me The Jesus!"

July 2nd, 2008

Its the line that made Cuba Gooding Jr. a star in the 1996 movie Jerry Maguire, “show me the money!!” Check out this clip if you don’t remember (warning: there is some bad language at the end of the clip)

Throughout the movie, Rod (Cuba Gooding Jr.) keeps telling his agent Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) that to keep him as a client, Jerry must live up to Rod’s motto, “show me the money!!” Rod plays football, but clearly his passion is money.
The church in America, and around the world, is going through some massive reformation. Some folks are emergent, some are organic, some are all about the house church, some are committed to the “institution” and others are sold out for social justice. I talk with people who are confused by these optoins and they ask, “how should I respond?” As I think about these movements, the question I keep asking myself is, what do they offer that is “uniquely Jesus”? What do they offer that the World is not already promising? Honestly, I can buy into any and all of these cultural trends as long as people can “show me the Jesus!!“
Take for example the issue of Social Justice. I watched with interest on April 8 as Fox promoted their second annual, “Idol Gives Back.” Their goal, “raise awareness” and “fight poverty.” Their TV show incorporated a spiritual component as they closed the night with the song, “Shout To The Lord.” The producers cut the word “Jesus” from the song so as not to offend anyone, but still the show appealed to the Metrospiritual among us. There is nothing offensive or shocking in this action. I expect nothing more from a secular company whose mission is to make billions by giving away other people’s millions?
Now compare the message of “Idol Gives Back” with the work of Eugene Cho. Cho is a Christian brother and pastor in Seattle Washington who has a mission to “fight global poverty.”

Our hope is to create a grassroots, global, and viral movement by integrating three key elements: human relationships, compassion & justice, and technology & creativity.

In visiting his site, I have asked him this simple question, “what makes your work uniquely about Jesus?”

“HI Eugene,

Last night I watched American Idol Gives back where they said almost exactly the same thing as you. They talked of ending global poverty and the pursuit of justice and dignity for all people. They even ended the night with a praise and worship song.

American Idol has a spiritual component. They had songs about Angels, love and, as mentioned, they even a praise song. But what was most interesting about the song they chose is that they left out the only verse that mentions Jesus by name.

So as I read your very inspiring vision and noble goal. It is also the goal of American Idol Gives back. Their stated mission is to fight poverty. Your stated mission is to fight poverty.

American Idol asked people who are blessed with wealth to be a blessing to others. You ask people to bless others.

American Idol wants people to sacrifice. You are asking people to sacrifice.

So based solely on your post above, I am left wondering; what do you offer the poor that was not offered on American Idol?

And before I close, let me say that I have no doubts about your personal faith in Jesus as Savior nor do I believe you are not a faithful servant of Jesus in all you do in your Church. I am not putting any of those things in question here brother. :-)

In my observation of his ministry, Jesus never fed the poverty of flesh without feeding the poverty of soul. In taking on a social agenda, what I want to know is will you, “show me the Jesus!!“?

I see lots of people who are passionate about politics and reform and compassion, but where is Jesus? I apply the same question to my own vision for “Restoring the Arts.” What, if anything, in our actions will lead people to salvation in Jesus Christ? I sometimes wish we all had the same unashamed and driving passion for Jesus that Rod had for money!

Here is my challenge to every brother and sister out there.
If you are concerned about social justice; “show me the Jesus!!” and I will stand with you!
If you are determined to stand behind the traditional “institution” of church;”show me the Jesus!!” and I will stand with you!
If you are convinced that church can only be found in a house; “show me the Jesus!!” and I will stand with you!
If you are fighting for the organic model of church; “show me the Jesus!!” and I will stand with you!
If you are convinced the only way to reach the world is with an emergent faith;”show me the Jesus!!” and I will stand with you!
My Family, let’s stop judging one another and asking people to change their forms of worship. Let’s stand united in our diversity and start encouraging one another to “show me the Jesus!“

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Posted in Christology, Discipleship, Metrospiritual, Reel Faith, Social Justice

Metrospirituality And “Self” As The Object Of Pleasure

January 2nd, 2008

In my first post on this topic I outlined the two kinds of Metrospirituals: Organics and Christians. Now I would like to move into a deeper study of the Christian-Metrospiritual (CM). You are all probably familiar with the term “metrosexual.” In 2002 Mark Simpson at Salon.com wrote an article giving his own definition which has become one of the benchmark articles that have defined this trend. So using Simpson’s article as a springboard, allow me to define for you what I see as the rise of Christian-Metrospirituality.

“Self” as the object of pleasure
The Metrosexual according to Simpson:

“Many years ago, Norman Mailer described homosexual men as narcissists who occasionally bump into one another. Which was true, of course. But now that everyone’s gone metrosexual it’s also true of straights. Perhaps this is why straights are almost as promiscuous as gays these days: All those TV dating shows where marriage or even sending each other Christmas cards is the last thing on anyone’s mind; all those youth holidays that appear to have become fortnight-long rum-soaked orgies, while Mum and Dad back home are taking part in wife-swapping parties in the suburbs.”

Meet The Christian-Metrospiritual
For the CM, self has certainly become the object of pleasure. Annonymous church hopping has become the norm for thousands of people who self-identify themselves as Christians. Bob and Mary are great examples of the CM. Typical suburban pleasure-seekers, Mary likes attending First Church. First Church has the hottest worship band in town and the pastor really gives an encouraging message that makes her feel great going into the long workweek. Bob likes the midweek groups at Second Church. They have something for everyone in the family from their youngest pre-schooler to their teenage daughter. They can go and pick from a myriad of classes and pick the best teachers Second Church has to offer. Their teenage daughter has learned well from their example and attends 4 different youth groups in the area.  Bob and Mary also love doing good things for others and for that Third Church is the place to connect. They often go and feed the homeless and have even done some local building projects sponsored by Third Church. If you ask Bob and Mary where they attend Church, they would probably list First Church as their home. They go there at least twice a month, probably once or twice in the busy Northwest Summer, and the people there make them feel the most welcome.  They do tithe some money to First Church, but mostly they give to whatever charity makes them feel the best.

What is Missing?
That is the real question. If you ask Bob and Mary, nothing is missing from their spiritual life. They feel fulfilled and happy and all their needs are met by experiencing so many different churches. The problem though is that Bob and Mary’s spiritual life is more like Mailer’s prototypical homosexual, “narcissists who occasionally bump into one another.”  They volunteer on occasion and show up at Sunday services at each of their churches, but ultimately there is no investment of self. Just like the Metrosexual who engages in wife swapping, the CM swaps churches as soon as another, more attractive, option comes along.

What is your experience with the CM and the pursuit of self as the object of pleasure?
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Posted in Ecclesiology, Family, Metrospiritual, Religion

Meet the Metrospiritual

September 26th, 2007
I was in a round-table discussion with some church planters today, and my friend, and fellow church planter, Jason Douros was talking about the need to plant more churches in the metro-Seattle area. As he talked about the unique needs of his community, I found in Jason’s words some surprising similarities to the spiritual needs in my own sub-urban/rural community of Orting, Washington.

So here I am, planting a church in one of the most unchurched parts of the United States, yet every day I am meeting people who are very “spiritual.” I think the trend we are seeing take shape in the large metropolitan communities of our nation can best be described as the emergence of “Metrospirituality.”

Who are the Metrospiritual?

The Metrospirituals in the Pacific Northwest come in two forms: Organic-Metrospirituals and Christian-Metrospirituals. Sites like Belief.Net have made a good case for what I am calling the Organic kind.

Organic-Metrospirituality is the “mainstreaming of Taoist, Buddhist (thanks to Richard Gere and Uma’s dad, Buddhism scholar and practitioner Robert Thurman), and Hindu values, among others, into an easily digestible, buyable form.” In Seattle, it is the rejection of any organized religion coupled with the desire to be spiritual by communing with nature (thus the name Organic) that creates the uniqe breed of Metrospiritual here in the Puget Sound region. I think I will leave it to Jason to explore this in more depth on his blog now titled “Metrospirituality.”

Christian-Metrospirituality is where I want to focus my attention because these are the kind os people I am meeting in my own community near Seatle. Unlike the Organic-Metrospiritual, the Christian-Metrospiritual has embraced all the trappings of Western-industrialized religion, along with the acceptance of our consumer culture, and syncretized them with a sturdy Christian veneer.

In my upcoming posts, I will give more specific definitions of trends and people I see in my own community here in the Pacific Northwest. Until then, I am open to some of your own input or stories of both the Organic- and the Christian-Metrospiritual.

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Posted in Anthropology, Church Planting, Culture, Metrospiritual, Religion, Spiritual Formation