becoming

Yes, a profound observation indeed:

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?

I think Skye is right, except he is too kind and nice to say that we are “unknowingly contributing” to the problem. I would go a step further –  many Christian leaders and talks on church growth are “knowingly” and publicly branding churches to achieve a cult-like status and create their own church myths. Church leaders are worshiped as celebrities and mythological figures, and church buildings (not church as in people of God), the temple with miraculous wonder. 

[Out of Ur: The Cult of Mac]

Karen很有意思的一段話：

我看到，這一大堆的選擇，所帶來的後果就是不停選擇。我們好像上了鏈一樣，永不止息地看上這個、愛上那樣。我們學會了不斷追求新鮮刺激，以及個人的享受。而換取這些所謂「自由」的，就是我們的委身與堅持。我們統統變成了挑剔的消費者。家庭如是、愛情如是、工作如是、返教會亦如是。今天人與人之間的疏離，和這個心態不無關係。但是，我們卻忘記了我們是因爲「關係」而被造，而生命也是因「關係」變得有意義。

[全文]

[HT: littleho]

或許，

你會問，

牧者為何常埋怨會眾這樣、那樣？

貼這些Sarcastic的post，

反映自己內裡的grumpiness。

會眾真會這樣嗎？

我就從未見過！

是否「我」、是否「見過」，根本不重要，

可能你從未見過。

會眾也當然不全是這樣！

要表達的並非牧者的grumpiness，

貼上也非為了Sarcastic，

因為常埋怨這樣、那樣的，並不是牧者。

我說的，

是事實。

Shane Hipps on moving toward, against, and away from the culture:

I make a distinction between three different kinds of consumerism. One is mainstream consumerism; the dominant hegemony that happens in our culture. Mainstream consumerism is mega. Walmart exemplifies this kind of consumerism, as does the mega-church. Boomer consumerism is mainstream consumerism.

Then you have counter consumerism, which is savviness. They are aware that Walmart and [Microsoft] Windows are trying to dominate, and they resist just like they resist mega-churches. But the odd thing is they’re no less consumers. They’re just counter consumers. A counter consumer buys Apple. It is absolutely consumer driven. They are consuming an identity that says we’re different; an alternative from the rest of you.

It’s youth rebellion. A reaction against what you’re parents like.

Yep. Instead of Starbucks you’ll go to the independent coffee shops. But it’s still coffee shops and it’s still consuming to form an identity. The emerging church is largely counter consumer. It’s really edgy, hip and trendy. But it’s no less consumeristic.

The third type is anti-consumerism. That is what I would call my context. Mennonites resist both the hip Apples and the hegemonic Windows. They would rather not have a computer. They’d rather make their own clothes, sow their own quilts, build their own homes. They’re very, very, very careful not to consume. That’s anti-consumer.

Read the whole thing here. 

特別留意作者說的所謂Counter consumerism。事實上，這種自以為拒絕世俗，但換過來只是「換湯不換藥」的行為，在教會中卻比比皆是；例如：對流行音樂會的藐視，換過頭來卻是以「敬拜讚美」的形式讓教會中人得著同樣的亢奮；這一邊對時尚品牌、明星的對持，另一邊在教會中卻建立對另類「品牌」、「星級講員」的傾慕。呼籲對消費文化作出批判，卻又於各大福音會議和奮興聚會中以鋪天蓋地的方式促銷不同的書刊、課程。

對象或者換了，但心態行為其實並沒有兩樣。

更糟糕的是我們還以為這就是所謂的「入世而不屬世」了。