To the Suburban Churches

The post I wrote yesterday reminded me of an article by Eugene Peterson I recently read. In 1999, he wrote an article for Christianity Today called “To the Suburban Churches.” It was based on the words of Jesus to the seven churches in Revelation 2-3.  Here is an excerpt from his article:

My churches in suburbia are one of the wonders of the world—there has never been anything quite like them. What energy, enthusiasm, generosity!

…

But I do have this against you: you’re far too impressed with Size and Power and Influence. You are impatient with the small and the slow. You exercise little discernment between the ways of the world and my ways. It distresses me that you so uncritically copy the attitudes and methods that make your life in suburbia work so well. You grab onto anything that works and looks good. You do so many good things, but too often you do them in the world’s way instead of mine, and so seriously compromise your obedience.

I understand why, for most of you have gotten along pretty well in the world—you’re well-educated, well-housed, well-paid, well-thought-of; it’s only natural that you should put the values and methods that have worked so well for you into service for me. But don’t you realize that however successful these attitudes and methods have been in achieving American benefits, it has come at a terrible price: depersonalizing people into functions; turning virtually everything into a cause or commodity to be used or fixed or consumed, doing everything you can to keep suffering at arm’s length? The suburban church has a lot of people in it, it functions very well, you can make almost anything happen. But honestly, now, do you think that this is what I had in mind when I said, “Follow me,” and then headed for Golgotha in Jerusalem?

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To the church that not only believes what I say but follows me in the way I do it, I’ll give a simple, uncluttered life that is hospitable to the wanderers and misguided, the hurried and harried men and women of this world. I want to use you to give them a taste of Sabbath and heaven.

You can read the rest here.