I just finished another book (look out). I think I included a quote from it the other day in my post on what I’ve been reading. This latest book is called Mustard Seed Vs. McWorld – Reinventing Life and Faith for the Future by a guy named Tom Sine.

I had to put the book down when I first started reading it because it was just too depressing for me at the time. The reason is was depressing was because the first 6 chapters discuss many of the downsides to globalization and the ways that the church has accommodated itself to the values of the surrounding culture. Here’s a table from the book which contrasts the marked differences between McWorld and the Mustard Seed:

 

   

   

   

   

 

 

   

   

   

 

 

   

   

   

 

 

   

   

   

 

 

   

   

   

 

 

   

   

   

 

 

   

   

   

 

 

   

   

   

 

	McWorld	Mustard Seed
Defining the   ultimate	Defines the ultimate in terms of economic growth and   efficiency.	Defines the ultimate in terms of spiritual and societal   transformation.
Image of the better   future	Western progress, the American Dream, and individual   economic upscaling.	Shalom future of God, redemption of a people, and transformation   of a world.
Agent of change	Human initiative through technological, economic, and   political power.	God’s initiative through the small, the insignificant, the   mustard seed.
Primary values	Individualism, consumerism, and materialism.	Community, spirituality, and celebration of God’s new   order.
Models of   discipleship and stewardship	Dualistic discipleship in which we give our allegiance first to the aspirations and values of the modern culture, and then our faith is reduced to personal piety, and we give out of leftovers.	Whole-life discipleship and stewardship in which we reinvent how we use time and money to put God’s purposes first in every area of life.
Models of church	A culturally accommodated church tends to reflect the values of modern culture in how it operates and defends them as desirable values.	A whole-life church attempts to reflect the values of the kingdom in how it operates and becomes a subversive community challenging the values of modern culture.
Consequences for   Christian mission	A culturally accommodated church will continue to see a decline i n numbers and resources to invest in mission to the mounting challenges of the 3rd millennium.	A whole-life community will not only more authentically reflect the values of the kingdom but dramatically increase its investment in mission to address tomorrow’s challenges.

   

Once I actually came back and finished reading the book did I see the value in what it uncovered. I also got a better sense how God’s people can respond to our ever-changing world.

As Christmas quickly approaches it seems fitting that I should take a hard look at my cultural assumptions and values. It’s easy to forget that all cultures of the world need redemption even our own. Some of the things which have creeped into the Western church and our own individual lives don’t belong there. They are not of God.

Whole-life discipleship (not leftovers) is required from those who wish to be in relationship with Christ. I want to use my imagination and envision a better future for my family, my community, and my world. This is only possible if I can allow God to begin putting first things first and changing my values to more appropriately reflect His own.

Before I am tempted to pound out a sermon, here’s my closing quote from the book.  Check this book out, if you have the time:

The themes of the American dream are accumulating, upscaling, status, power, consumerism, individualism, and self-actualisation. The themes of the homecoming future of God are justice for the poor, peace for the nations, the redemption of the people of God, a restoration of community, a renewal of creation, and a celebration of shalom purposes of God for a people and a world. These are not two versions of the same dream. These are totally different dreams. One is born of an ancient faith. The other is the product of an Enlightenment vision of Western progress.