The other day I drove by a sign announcing the upcoming topic at a United Methodist Church: “This Wednesday…. TEAMWORK!” Wow. Thanks for that – it makes an ideal example. That’s the epitome of religion – translating the standards, values, and assumptions of the dominant culture into liturgical contexts (in this case in the form of corporate soft skills training). Otherwise known as idolatry, which is the importing of the gods of the world (e.g. Canaan or the various organs of the United States) into the altars of “churches”.
I like this better, though, than the subtlety with which it’s carried in the rest of the time, under a cloth, as it were. Might as well just be open about it. One would like to say it shows balls; unfortunately, what it really displays is completely giving up – a total loss of uniquely Christian content – the mix of rubble (of Christendom) and detritus (of the world) that comprises the interests of churchgoers. It’s post-Christian Christianity. It’s Postianity. Altogether now on the dirge…