The End of Me(ology)
I want to thank my son, Stephen, for writing this post. He has written an excellent expose on how the church has fallen away from correct theology and has fallen into error. I recommend you share this post with as many as you can. This is a divinely inspired word. To those who read, thank you for being a seeker of God. Eric
Most of us are probably familiar with the word "theology", which means the study of God. In Christian circles, it is used to describe the work of any number of people: seminary professors, religion professors, church leaders, or Bible teachers. Theology is important because it affects the way we think about, interact with, and otherwise relate to God and each other. Incorrect theology leads us to think about, interact with and otherwise relate to each other and God in ways that are incorrect. Correct theology is vital to healthy and God-honoring perspective and relationships.
However, modern culture in the West has influenced Christianity in harmful ways that are subtle and shrewd. One of the most prominent ways is the shift from theology into a term that has colloquially been dubbed, "me-ology". While theology is focused on the study of God, me-ology distorts that to become the study of me. This trend presents itself in many different ways; some more obvious than others.
Probably the most obvious and glaring example of me-ology in churches comes in the form of "progressive Christianity". While this movement is Christian in name only, it is squarely and bluntly focused on answering the question, "how does this make me/someone else feel"? In this movement, the greatest sin is either actively irritating someone's emotions or passively failing to soothe someone's emotions. That person who needs their emotions soothed might be me or it might be someone else, but the gospel message in these churches is that Jesus died (maybe) to make us feel good and affirm our preferences. Unspoken, but at the heart of this me-ology, is the idea that, "surely, God must be as righteous, good, and loving as I am". This error makes my standard of righteousness, goodness, and love the superior standard and makes God subservient to it. The incorrect theology here is, as I said, obvious. In truth, God alone provides the greatest standard for righteousness, goodness, and love.
A less obvious way that me-ology has crept into Christian churches is found in the way that many people here in the US choose what church to attend. While church attendance has been declining rapidly, there are still many churches open and available to those looking to attend. All too commonly, I hear that someone is attending a church because, "The worship there is so great. It really keeps me engaged and the energy of the music is really powerful. Also, the preacher is super dynamic and can hold my interest during the sermon, which never lasts longer than the 30 minutes advertised. The youth group is really good too, because my kids like hanging out with their friends and being involved with all of the games and sports they do." I've heard well-intentioned people describe these points as a good way of choosing a church because, after all, I need to go to a church that "provides what I need". But there lies the error of me-ology.
In truth, God has created the church to function as the body of Christ, with many parts working together to do the work of Christ on the Earth. "The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”" (1 Corinthians 12:21, NLT) Instead of asking, "what can I get here?", Christians should be asking, "what can I give here?" Correct theology teaches us that choosing a church should be an exercise in finding a place where we can effectively do our part to help the body of Christ function correctly.
Related to the way people often choose churches is the way churches often choose to worship. Worship is a tricky word because many people don't understand what it means any more. However, worship simply means to bow down in humble obedience to someone or something. Church gatherings most commonly involve singing "worship" songs. Let me preface this by stating that I am a 30-year multi-instrumentalist worship team veteran who loves to worship through music. HOWEVER...there is a common trend, especially in protestant evangelical churches, of singing mostly or only songs that are about how good God makes me feel. Lyrics are often about how much God loves me and makes me the victor by fighting my battles and He provides all I need because He's good so I'm grateful for all the stuff He does for me.
Don't misunderstand me here, many of the lyrics in contemporary worship music are not theologically wrong if we have a good foundation to ground them on. (Some of them are, but that's for another time.) What risk we run here is that if worship is always focused on how good God makes us feel and all the good stuff He's eager to give us, it can effect the way we perceive our relationship with Him. God is not and will never be sky Santa who gives me whatever I want or a teddy bear who just wants to snuggle with me to soothe my emotions. In truth, even if we haven't gotten the good things we've asked God for and we feel sad or depressed, He is still and will always be worthy of our worship and honor.
Most people who hold a traditional understanding of Christianity will acknowledge that the Bible is teaching and instruction that God Himself has given us. They will also acknowledge that it is authoritative, powerful, and essential to good theology. But even here, the modern western church is at risk of falling into the pervasive cultural trappings of me-ology. This can be found in the way we read and even study the Bible.
For the most part, the Bible is a book that is for us, but it is not a book that is about us. A common trap of me-ology is reading to "find me in the Bible". A popular example of this would be for me to read the story of David (youngest and least of his brothers) defeating Goliath (an experienced warrior who was a giant) and conclude that I must be David. So, if I'm David, then the giant must be obstacles in my way. So, God will help me slay giants (remove obstacles) if I just have faith like David. Nailed it!
Or not. If we embrace this "me in scripture" interpretation, we will find ourselves disappointed when God doesn't make all our problems go away and miss what God is really teaching us in this passage. We wouldn't see that God is so powerful, He can use a teenager to defeat His enemies in order to deliver His people from bondage and defend the honor of His name. Embracing me-ology in scripture leads to problems like false interpretation and overlooking God's intended teaching.
Another way that me-ology leads to incorrect theology from the Bible is the common practice of asking the question, "what does this passage mean to me/you?" This question often occurs in bible-studies conducted by well-meaning leaders who want to involve everyone in Biblical discussion. However, what it means to me or you has no real effect on correct theology. What's important is asking the right question, "what is God teaching us in this passage?"
The Biblical book Song of Solomon (or Song of Songs), has been subject to many interpretations and has experienced much me-ology in the form of both "finding me in scripture" and "what does it mean to me?" The book is often treated as simple love poetry between a man and his fiance. However, when reading it while asking the question, "what is God teaching us?", it becomes clear that the book is not about me, but it is about Christ and the church. If you haven't read it with this understanding, I encourage you to try it. The depth gained when realizing that it isn't a manual for your marriage, but a description of the relationship between Christ and the church in anticipation of the wedding is tremendous!
The good news in this is that while incorrect me-ology has been a force that has negatively effected the way many people perceive and relate to God and others, recognizing that trap can help us escape it. The reason we can recognize incorrect me-ology is because it is possible to know correct theology. The results of cultural me-ology are clear in the world around us: fear, confusion, greed, violence. However, looking at the world, other people, and God through a lens that we allow God to focus brings clarity, understanding, and peace that's much greater than anything we can create for ourselves.