Ben Witherington gives good blog. In his September 13th entry, Witherington links to and discusses a TIME magazine article, Does God Want You to Be Rich. Dan Van Biema and Jeff Chu examine Prosperity Gospel theology, also referred to by names such as Word-of-Faith and Name It-Claim It.
Time is on my side. Yes it is.
Magazines often leave me underwhelmed, but TIME's article has more depth than the average secular publication's religious pieces do, and is worth the read. It presents a broad critique, while acknowledging a given church's prosperity outlook can be a matter of degrees. Overall, I believe it gives a balanced picture of this troubling movement, even mentioning that prosperity-focused churches tend to be more racially integrated than most of American Protestantism (reportedly, shamefully, the Sunday morning service remains one of the most segregated hours in American life). When quoting and referring to Christians who are not enamoured of prosperity theology, Van Biema and Chu cite well knowns like Rick Warren, and Jim Wallis of Sojourners fame (whose politically progressive views the media has found newsworthy of late). But! They also cite the convicting Ron Sider as well, who arguably wrote the book about rich Christians, but may be less well known outside the academia, particularly its towers in Christendom.
The money (sorry) quote?:
Pastors are happy to discuss from the pulpit hot-button topics like sex and even politics. But the relative absence of sermons about money--which the Bible mentions several thousand times--is one of the more stunning omissions in American religion, especially among its white middle-class precincts. [TIME magazine]
Money. It's a gas.
Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash.
TIME is not wrong and, of course, neither is the Bible. The scriptures so often address money because God's word is eternal and God knows what we are, and how we live, not to mention how and where we're weak. Sure, sex is a fact of life, a big part thereof, and a major issue in our lives, but not to the extent money is. Even Wilt Chamberlain's headboard wouldn't have racked up quite so many notches, were it not for the opportunities which presented themselves to him--because of his career. I mean, the average schmoe isn't going to meet 20,000 women in his life, never mind bed them. In fact some people, I hear, never have sex at all (and no, you parents of young children, I don't mean you).
There are times in our lives when sex just isn't a part of our lives. That's not the case, with money. Even babies, who may not know anything about it, sure know how to need things that require money. Of course God has a lot to say about money! Apart from pulpits preaching prosperity though, you mightn't guess it, at least when it's not annual pledge season. Van Biema and Chu explore some reasons for and around this, including evangelicalism's focus on the individual, and the mainline's emphasis on the social gospel.
It's in the way that you use it...
Witherington's blog entry about this article is--as usual--right on the money (sorry, again). In fact, if you're short on time, skip TIME, and go straight to his blog. His focus is more narrow, but he hones in on the biblical perspective with the precision of a surgical laser. Here's a teaser:
But wait a minute. If it was God's plan and desire for his people in general to be wealthy, why wasn't Jesus himself wealthy? Why did he say "the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head" and why did he teach us to pray only for necessities like 'daily bread'? Why exactly is the first beatitude in Luke 6.20-21 "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours in the kingdom of God." And then the second one is "Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied." Jesus, as it turns out, couldn't even pay for his own funeral. He was buried by a fringe disciple who had space in the family tomb. Did Jesus just miss out on the blessing during his earthly life? Maybe he didn't have enough faith??? Hmmmm.
Why exactly was it that the apostle Paul had to work his fingers to the bone making tents (cf. 1 Thess. 2.9 for example) while doing his missionary work? The disparity between the way Paul lived and describes his own life, when compared to the likes of Osteen Dollar or others is striking-- "I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, been exposed to death again and again...Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea...I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked." (2 Cor. 11. 23-27).
Not only so, but Paul in this same 2 Corinthians letter says plainly that he asked God to take a source of suffering away from him, a stake in the flesh, and God said NO! (2 Cor. 12.7-9). Paul is of course engaged in mock boasting, and ridiculing those who make the facile assumption that if they are living large it must be God's blessing and will for their lives!!! Did Paul just not get the memo about the prosperity and health God had in mind for him and about the Gospel of conspicuous consumption?
See? Love him. So much. As I was thinking about the above excerpt and typing the words, 'the precision of a surgical laser," Hebrews 4:12 came to mind: "Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." [NSRV]
If I were a rich man...
The truth is, God does say, NO!" A lot. Particularly to me. Okay, no. Well yeah, but that's mostly because I frequently ask him to all but wrap me a soft blanket (cotton, please; wool gives me hives), feed me warm chocolate pudding, and let me be coddled and unchallenged, and not faced with anything hard, scary or which might involve growth in any way. Ever. Would it spoil some vast, eternal plan... < /Tevye>
I don't just have issues, I have SUBSCRIPTIONS to them. God knows this. He's working on me, often through the words of Ben Witherington. Go. Read Witherington's entry, 'Just in Time' -- 'God Wants You Wealthy'. Don't skim, and miss his "TOP TEN REASONS WHY GOD DOESN'T WANT YOU WEALTHY," a.k.a. the point, therein. When I read that header, I just might have heard Jack Nicholson's, Colonel Jessup screaming at me, "You can't handle THE TRUTH!"
Sometimes the truth just ain't enough,
Or is it too much, in times like this?
I can't handle the truth. But I'm trying to be open to the truth, because I know Who Is the truth. As far as I can tell from his blog and where it sends my mind, Dr. Ben Witherington III, Ph.D., serves Him. Witherington is also an author, Beliefnet.com columnist, bible scholar, preacher, Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Asbury Theological Seminary, and more. Dr. Ben Witherington III, Ph.D. is my favorite Christian blogger. Subscribing to his RSS feed may be the most spiritually enriching act I've ever committed, online.
One of the main reasons I registered this account with Blogger, was so that I could comment on his entries. I've been a fangirl for long enough that I can't tell you how I learned about him, or it. I suspect I read his name in something by or about Craig Blomberg (or someone similar) and then Googled, but the details are lost to me. Witherington's blog only accepts comments from members, and I was loathe to register yet another account at another website, so I remained silent for months, despite the fact that I was nearly exploding with what were surely inspired questions and insightful commentary. Unable to muzzle myself any longer, I finally gave up, or in, or something and that's how this doctrineofcyn account at blogger.com came about.
Same as it ever was...
Is it possible for a blabbermouth to find herself tongue-tied by a non-sexual, non-romantic crush? I ask, because when I read Witherington (whenever he blogs; I subscribe to the RSS feed), I am often moved to tears, and generally walk away a better thinker than when I started. And yet, if I think about leaving feedback, or even just thanking him, I get all...well...Willow Rosenberg said it best to Buffy Summers, in Welcome to the Hellmouth, the television series premiere of Buffy the Vampire Slayer:
Willow: Well, when I'm with a boy I like, it's hard for me to say anything cool, or...or witty...or at all. I-I can usually make a few vowel sounds, and then I have to go away.
That's probably for the better, otherwise I'd have to face, more often, that my comments aren't always so inspired and insightful. Don't get me wrong. I have used my account to comment in his blog. Once. And as soon as I clicked the button to submit my response, I saw my typos (which might have included the gift with purchase of making my comment ungrammatical), so I shut my browser before I had to look at the fruits of my labor.
The bulk of my time online is more two-sided (or maybe more one-sided on this side), but I enjoy just reading and thinking about Dr. Witherington's posts. This latest entry got me thinking about one of C.S. Lewis's points in Mere Christianity: God is taking these tin soldiers and making us real. I have no doubt that God loves to give us good things, nor do I doubt all of our blessings, including material wealth, are from God, but I suspect God has reasons, as is his wont, for bestowing and denying blessings, that have more to do with who we will be for eternity, than the sometimes overly-simplistic way blessings can be presented in the prosperity gospel perspective. For that matter, any wealth we accumulate this side of the great divide is part of a fallen creation--one that has been groaning in labor pains, and I suspect it can be used not only as a blessing, but as a test. If this is your first introduction to Dr. Witherington, go, read him, and enjoy.
