The Ho-Hum Gospel: Why the Church Has Grown Bored with Christ

Stan Moody:

I suspect that much of what passes for faith in America today has more to do with crisis management than with trusting God or following Jesus. Why else would we be so intent on fixing the church’s problems while neglecting our own spiritual growth, i.e., waiting for a dramatic “Road to Damascus” moment before directing our attention to mission? Why else would we hand over our discipleship with a check or Facebook “like” to the latest abundant-life guru online? It would appear that we are hung up on waiting for God to get His act together so we can fill in the pieces!

What’s Getting in Our Way of Mission?

We American Christians have immortalized our nation as favored by God, evidenced by our comforts and success. One thing that has long stumped me as a pastor is how family has become an acceptable excuse to postpone following Christ. In fact, we’re not really into following anyone anywhere, if the truth be known! 

What if Peter had put family first? Would Pentecost have been as revolutionary absent his dynamic sermon?

Our lives have become consumed with fixing things in the moment – shuttling kids to activities, juggling jobs, mowing the lawn, cleaning the pool, planning the next Disney trip, or whatever. None of this is inherently bad, but when activity becomes a safe diversion from discipleship, something is off.

I can’t judge too harshly. I’ve raised nine kids (his, hers, ours, and theirs), and I know the messiness of life, most of it self-imposed. Seven still talk to me, which in some Christian circles is considered a miracle. When the dust settles, however, what are we left with? For me, it’s sheds and garages full of stuff nobody wants, hobbies of little interest to anyone anymore, and many empty spaces that busyness used to fill.

“We’re So Happy Because We’re So Busy!” 

That’s the pre-ordained American way, isn’t it? We equate busyness with usefulness and excuse ourselves with “I’m so very sorry! I’m really too busy. Maybe later!” But that line won’t fly in God’s economy. The Gospel isn’t something we can squeeze into a busy week. It’s life itself—a present, dynamic, miraculous reality that grows in us and through us to others, step by step.

The truth is, growth rarely comes from dramatic Damascus Road moments, as it did in the pre-conversion life of the Apostle Paul when he was stopped dead in his tracks. More often, it’s like laying track a quarter inch at a time—slow, steady, deliberate; an uncertain eternal goal in sight. We can argue that God meets us exactly where we are, not only in our busyness or burnout but in the quiet spaces where we finally admit we’re not only in control but maybe out of control. That may be true, but the Christian life is one of forward progress in personal and corporate mission! If it is a pattern for life itself, it has to be immensely more intense than a weekly Bible study from the pulpit or a Sunday School class!

What’s Holding Us Back?

So, what’s holding us back? Is it family, busyness, the “sacred” American Dream, or just too much stuff in the garage? Whatever it is, we make the mistake of waiting for the big miracle moment or dramatic push from heaven. That is nothing more than expecting an interruption of our busy schedules in order to move forward with God. How can we possibly know the will of God with confidence if the only space we allow Him is in between episodes of chaos?

We are commissioned to press into the light, trusting that God will reveal His present, dynamic, victorious Kingdom to us daily, even if only a sliver at a time. We need to get out of busyness as a diversion from responsibility for faithful service! That’s where real growth in Christ begins. That’s the pathway toward selfless service!

Welcome to the Kingdom of God – God’s peaceful alternative to busyness and national government! It has to be sought after before the sense of direction settles in (Matt 6:33).