Book Review: God in the Wasteland

A few weeks ago I read David Wells' book God in the Wasteland. In it, Wells issues a scathing critique of American Christianity and highlights what he views as many areas where we have gone astray. He argues that Christians and their churches have often neglected God--that God has become weightless in the lives of many people within the church today. Wells claims that many people like the idea of being part of a church and of salvation, but that they really give no weight to God in the way they live their daily lives. In many ways, I think that Wells is on to something. He emphasizes the importance of correct theology, but also emphasizes that the theology we claim is so important must also influence the way that we live our lives. If it does not, then we have missed the point.

Wells does not simply limit his critique to individuals though. He also makes a strong case that the Church has gone astray as well. As evidence of this he points to the movement common in American churches of applying the principles of marketing to the administration of the church. We have become very concerned about the desires of the people outside the church, and we seek to tailor our church services in such a way that they will fulfill the desires of non-Christians. Wells argues that essentially, we have made the gospel into a product to be sold rather than a divine imperative. I'm inclined to agree with his assessment.

While it is certainly important for us to be concerned with the way the non-Christian world views the Church, there is some degree to which non-Christians will never feel comfortable inside a church that is truly preaching the gospel. We do not need to be mean-spirited, but we do need to hold out the truth. If we find ourselves hesitant to preach what the Bible says for fear of the backlash of the world, we fail in doing what we are called to do.

I also think that much of the modern emphasis on "worship" experiences stems from this same mentality. I firmly believe that on Sunday mornings we should come together to worship God, but I fear that for many churches that is not what is happening. These church services really fall far short of worship, and are much closer to entertainment. The motivation behind them is not what will please our Heavenly Father, but what the people will enjoy. We need to ask, why do we do the things we do in our church services? Is the music we sing designed to bring glory to God and to draw us into His presence, or is it simply to help us to have a good time? Do we use multimedia in worship because it is an aid to understanding and building community, or do we use it because it's what we have to do to compete with the church down the road? Do we get rid of extended prayer times and Bible readings and shorten the preaching because they are boring and people enjoy other parts of the service more, or do we stand firm that these are essential parts of our worship of God? Do we greet people warmly because it is a way for us to demonstrate the kind of love that Jesus showed, or do we do it because people are more likely to come back if we do?

Don't get me wrong--I think it is ok to sing contemporary music and use multimedia in worship. I think we ought to be welcoming and kind to people who visit our churches. I also don't intend to talk for hours when I preach. But let's not forget the point of Sunday. The point of Sunday is to spend time in worship of God. Our goal should not be to come out of a church service saying, "Wasn't that a lot of fun?" (though worship can be fun!), but to come out saying that you felt like you encountered God--and that as a result, your life should be different.

I don't know that Wells' book would be something that everyone would find valuable or interesting (it's really written more for pastors and church leaders), but I think some of the insights he puts forth are right on target--that if we don't put God and His Word back in the place of prominence in our lives and in our churches, we are destined for trouble.

The Shack

While I was away to do a family wedding I read the wildly popular book, The Shack by William P. Young. Because the book is getting a somewhat controversial response from the Christian community I thought I'd add my two cents.

I enjoyed the book and even think I would like to read it again some time. It is important in reading any work of fiction such as this to remember that it is a novel. These things did not really happen. Much of the offense that some may take to the book come because they are reading it as a theology text and not a novel.

The book centers on an encounter that the main character Mack has with the Triune God. Some are offended that God the Father is depicted as a black woman and the Holy Spirit is portrayed as an Asian woman. (The Son is portrayed as a man). Papa (God the Father) explains that He can appear in any form He so desires. In Mack's case, appearing as a Black Woman is non-threatening and therefore more effective.

The depiction of the Trinity is really quite heartwarming. The love and the oneness is quite touching. One of my favorite parts is when they have their "devotions" and the Son expresses his love for the Father.

The book is an easy read . . . but it is deep at the same time. The pictures that are drawn are informed by a pretty solid theology.

The struggle with the problem of evil seemed very honest and insightful. At one point Mack asks if Papa is justifying what happened. Papa responds, "I'm not justifying the situation, I'm redeeming it." That's a very good line.

There was only one spot that troubled me. Papa is explaining to Mack that he is no interested in formal or institutional religion. He tells Mack He is not looking for "Christians" but for those who will enter into a relationship with Him. The author is being careful (chapter 12) but some may conclude that it doesn't matter what you believe. I don't think that is what the author is saying at all. He wants us to understand that it is not a particular dogma that must be believed . . . it is God that must be believed. It is a section open to heretical conclusions.

Other than this I found the book interesting, engaging, enjoyable and also instructive. The pictures explode our stereotypes and I think picture God in a way that invites intimacy and love.

If people read the book and conclude theology doesn't matter; the book has been harmful. I think the message of the book is that theology matters but we must never forget that the purpose of theology is not academic information. The purpose of theology is to lead us into relationship with God. If we understand the book, it is an enriching read.