Christianity Lite

I recently received an order from a pretty well-known evangelical mail order company that provides all kinds of books and supplies to individuals and churches. As I was unpacking the boxes I noticed the slogan printed on each of the packages, and while I am sure they meant nothing theological by it, the wording struck me in quite an astounding way. The tagline simply said, “Everything Christian for less.” Yes, I realize they were addressing a bottom line concern and indicating they carry an exhaustive inventory of things Christians would be interested in and they sell them at a better price than anybody else. However, I heard it in a different way—a way, I am afraid, that much of the church has begun to consider normative.

If we have any familiarity with the New Testament at all we know that Jesus sets an amazingly high standard for those that claim to be His. He says very radical things like “if you will be My disciple deny yourself daily, take up your cross and follow me.” German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer said in his classic book The Cost of Discipleship, “when Jesus calls a man He bids him come and die.” It all sounds a bit counter to our self-preserving, esteem building, safety seeking culture.

Reinhold Niebuhr penned these very appropriate words– “a God without wrath brings men without sin into a kingdom without judgment through a ministry of a Christ without a cross.” I fear this is a sentiment that far too many popular preachers today might be right at home with.

As I write this we are approximately two weeks away from celebrating the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ. I would have a very hard time imagining any Christian doctrine that has been more softened, sanitized, and secularized than this one. While the biblical account is one of fear, shame, and scandal, we have re-created into a Norman Rockwell, Currier and Ives, Santa Claus, everyone getting along (at least for a day) holiday which bears no resemblance to the New Testament record. I am not a Scrooge and I am not on a vendetta to make sure no one enjoys Christmas. I simply am using this most sacred of celebrations to illustrate how we sometimes “dumb down” what it means to be a follower of Christ.

There is no concept to be found in the Scripture that would give credence to “Everything Christian for less.” It is always more—much, much more!