Matthew Dickerson's books include works of spiritual theology and Christian apologetics as well as historical fiction, fantasy literature, explorations of the writings of C.S.Lewis and J.R.R.Tolkien, and books about trout fishing, fly fishing, rivers, and ecology. His recent books include: Disciple Making in a Culture of Power, Comfort, and Fear and The Voices of Rivers: Reflections on Places Wild and Almost Wild. He was a 2017 artist-in-residence at Glacier National Park. He lives in Vermont with his wife, dog, and cat, not far from three married sons, and is an active member of Memorial Baptist Church. Matthew is also a professor of computer science at Middlebury College in Vermont.
Consumerism and Worship, Part 2
Christ’s followers are not called to compete in a consumer market by offering a popular product with an easy-to-swallow message. But neither are Christians called to be intentionally abrasive. Jesus dined with tax-collectors and prostitutes. He was friends with sinners. That’s one of the very things that made him unpopular with the religious leaders of his day.
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The Church and Consumerism, Part 1
When people approach church as consumers shopping for a product, it is tempting for Christians—especially church leaders—to respond with a similar mindset: to view church as a product that must please customers in order to sell. Jesus calls us to a different approach than a consumer model. Though it is often not a popular message, the Gospel should always point to Christ, and through Christ back to the Father.
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Consumerism and Worship
Contrary to a mentality of consumerism, when we gather for worship we should not be shopping for an experience. Worship is a response to what God has already done for us, and an act of love and obligation toward our brothers and sisters in Christ. Worship is not about ourselves.
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Resisting Conformance to Consumerism
Followers of Christ are called to resist conforming to the patterns of this world. As we work to avoid conforming to our culture, it is helpful to critically think through what those patterns of our culture are, and how they influence us.
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Restoration in Rest
Constant work not only exhausts us, but it exhausts the world around us. It is consumptive. When we choose to build in rhythms of rest and delight, we give those around us and the earth itself a break from our demands.
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“Are You Keeping Busy?”
Our culture idolizes and rewards busyness. Although work is a good part of God’s plan for humankind, God does not intend us to be constantly busy. Instead, he invites us to daily, weekly, and seasonal times of rest. Choosing to build rest into the rhythms of our lives is one of the most important steps of faith we can take.
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Discernment and Knowledge
Life is full of difficult decisions for which there are often no easy or obvious choices. We all need discernment.
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Discernment and Love
Love requires difficult decisions. Followers of Christ seek discernment to make those decisions.
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Gentleness and Anxiety
While our anxieties can make it more difficult to be gentle, God promises gentleness as the fruit of his Spirit.
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Work Harmed and Redeemed
Sin and death impact all of our labors in many ways: we labor toward evil ends, or with evil motives; we become greedy or prideful about our work; our relationships are harmed by sin, and broken community also negatively impacts our labors.
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Sin, Mortality, and Work
We were made for fruitful labor, as one of the ways that we glorify our creator God. Nonetheless, work in this world has been negatively impacted by sin and death.
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Vulnerability and Empathy
In imitating Jesus, we can learn to be vulnerable and empathetic with others.
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Jesus and Vulnerability
Our culture values strength and invulnerability. However, Christ calls us to the practice of vulnerability.
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