Ironic Reality
“Do you know ____?” I had a conversation with an old acquaintance that was about 45 minutes of this question in some for or another as they ran through a list of the connections they had made during their time in ministry. It reminded me of conversations around lunch tables at large Evangelical conferences centered around questions like: “where do you pastor?”, “how big is your church?”, “who goes to your church/who has visited your church?”, and “what have you accomplished?”. This mentality has permeated our churches and our seminaries. It’s your answers to these questions that determine if you get hired or if you don’t. Depending on what you’ve accomplished, what papers you’ve published, or who you know, you get invited to speak at conferences, professorships, book deals. And it’s a positive feedback loop. The more you think, talk, and act this way, the more influence and power you wield, so you become more entrenched in that mode of operation, continuing to gain more influence and power. They in turn become role models (or dare I say, idols?) for fellow believers to follow and aspire to. The irony is that Jesus, the person whom Christianity revolves around, was humble. He existed completely outside of the norms of his time and in some respects completely opposite to some of the norms (even Christian norms) of our time. He was saturated in humility, so much so that the God of the universe took on flesh. So humble that he became obedient to death, even death on a cross. But a large majority those that display this Christ-like humility are often never heard of.
Polanyi, in his book The Great Transformation, sought to expose a similar irony in the rationale behind the new market driven economy by highlighting the reality of what was happening. “Poverty was nature surviving in society; that the limitedness of food and the unlimitedness of men had come to an issue just when the promise of boundless increase of wealth burst in upon us made the irony only the more bitter.”[1] The market economy was supposed to bring newfound wealth and prosperity but seemed to leave a majority of society behind. Polanyi identifies the idea that the self-regulating market is “natural”[2] as a main problem. He makes clear that not only is it unnatural for an economic system to be disembedded from social relationships, it’s also impossible.[3] As a result, the implementation of the SRM produced grave consequences in the form of societal and political uprisings.[4]
With that understanding of the effects of the SRM on society, perhaps the adoption of “the ontology of the SRM”[5] by Evangelical Christians explains the irony I began my post with. Clark incisively states that:
“the market is, if not a false body, then at least a competing body, to which humans have ceded all sociologic, because of its promise of actualizing community desire; however, it has never produced a community, but rather fostered an idealization and unrequited desire for community.”[6]
I continue to ponder what it might look like for Evangelical communities and leaders to act humbly, disentangled from the influence of the SRM. More personally, I find the tension of attempting to live separate from a production and accomplishment oriented perfectly described by a scene from the movie, Forgetting Sarah Marshall. The main character is being taught how to surf. “Do less” the teacher tells him, “no you’re doing too much… now you’re doing nothing.”[7]
[1] Karl Polanyi, The Great Transformation: The Political and Economic Origins of Our Time, 2nd ed. (Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 2001). 88.
[2] Ibid, 130.
[3] Ibid, 5.
[4] Gregory Baum, Karl Polanyi on Ethics and Economics (Montreal: McGill-Queen University Press, 1996). 6.
[5] Jason Clark, “Evangelicalism and Capitalism: A Reparative Account and Diagnosis of Pathogeneses in the Relationship” (Faculty Publications, Portland Seminary, 2018). 153.
[6] Ibid, 165
[7] Forgetting Sarah Marshall, directed by Nicholas Stoller, featuring( Jason Segel, Mila Kunis, and Kristen Bell) (Universal Pictures, 2008).
About the Author
Caleb Lu
8 responses to “Ironic Reality”
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Hey Caleb,
Have you ever read Eugene Peterson’s books on pastoral ministry? In the book “Under the Unpredictable Plant”, Peterson particularly speaks out against pastor careerism. He laments the shape pastoral work has taken. It becomes about numbers and who has the cooler church. He also writes about being an “unbusy” pastor in “The Contemplative Pastor.” Your post reminded me of these books. I am grateful for our conversations and how you have chosen a different (and I would argue) better path in your ministry journey. Keep up the good, hidden, unbusy work!
I haven’t, but sounds like a helpful book! I have to admit that I’m not entirely sure my path is entirely different. I’m sure part of my feelings about how other people have gone about their ministry paths and pastoral careers is tinged with jealousy as well. I too appreciate our conversations and everyone in the cohort. For all the amazing things you and everyone else does, I have felt humility and a desire to learn in every interaction.
I resonate with your observation, Caleb. Being a Methodist, we don’t tend to hula hoop in the same Evangelical superstar circles, but we do like to compare church size and projects. The interesting thing is that where we pastor is out of our hands (we are appointed) yet these appoints are (supposedly) based on merit and perceived ability. It is quite natural to “work your way up” to larger churches. While everyone denies it to some extent…it is a driving motivator.
What has helped you navigate those internal and external pressures to play the market place game?
Chad, like my reply to David, I have to confess I’m not entirely sure I’m good at navigating those pressures. There are real feelings of jealousy that pop up. I think I also have a certain amount of privilege in that my wife works full time so that we can stay at the church I’m on staff at even though I’m only paid part time. I think there’s a financial reality to many of the choices we have to make, and again, I’m thankful that I haven’t had that be a driving factor yet.
Perhaps something that keeps me grounded is recognizing the community that God has placed around me. There are times when I think about what it might look like to pastor in a a larger church or at a church that might be able to afford a higher salary and it’s usually pretty quickly put aside remembering the amazing support, encouragement, and abundance of prayer that we receive from our current church and our community of friends.
So maybe part of it is trying to find contentment through gratitude? I even think of our discussions around The Molecule of More (and now on capitalism) of just never having enough. I try (BIG emphasis on try) to remember that even if I make more money, work at a bigger church, have more influence or more accomplishments, if those are things that are constantly on my mind, it’ll never be enough.
Caleb, I always appreciate the conversations you bring to the table. Pastoring is challenging and not helped by the way in which we make it a numbers game. How many people attended last Sunday? Is tithing up or down? How many baptism? The list goes on and on. We look at mega church pastors and try to reproduce what they are doing instead of asking God what we should be doing. But as you said, “a large majority those that display this Christ-like humility are often never heard of.”
I have felt somewhat in limbo in ministry as I desire to plant a church where we live and I am still on staff at my church that is 400 miles away. It is an interesting season. Your post and comments have reminded me that I am doing what I need to be doing right now. I am ministering to my community. I am planting a church. It just does not look like a Sunday morning congregation. It is connecting with my friend in Ohio online. It is going to Disneyland at the end of the month with friends we made here. It is meeting my friend for dinner monthly. It is going to the local coffee shop. As with you, I too have the privilege of a spouse who makes enough to support us. That makes me uniquely qualified to pastor in an unconventional way. I am not beholden to a salary, so I can minister in ways that many (most) pastors cannot. Thank you for the affirmation and reminder that I am not in limbo, I am right where God wants me.
Caleb – You hit on the tension that those of us in ministry face every day. The desire to do more and be more “in the name of Christ,” is a slippery slope. Of course we want to reach as many people as we can with the good news of the Gospel, but how do we do that without our ego getting in the way? I realize there are no hard and fast answers. Thank you for your honesty in admitting that you struggle with it, too. Perhaps vulnerability and openess about our struggles is a good place to start!
Caleb,
You are always so transparent in your posts. It is what makes your writing captivating to me. Thank you for your vulnerability. I agree with David – Eugene Peterson’s books are wonderful.
Caleb,
I enjoyed your blog and the conversation that followed in the comments
Thank you for the citation from Dr. Clark. It is good to catch a glimpse of what he was trying to communicate in his research paper. Great quote.
May I give a shout out to your wife!?! She must be amazing. I pray gobs of blessings on the both of you. Team Lu….you sound like a great team!