I’m listening to Apple Music’s Christian radio station. It is, one after the other, Jesus-is-my-boyfriend and Jesus-is-my-therapist songs.
Just like KLove.
It’s obvious to me, as I listen to music and sermons at church each week, as I read my newsfeed, as I listen to streaming Christian music, that we are given over nearly 100% to MTD — Moralistic Therapeutic Deism.
Moralistic – God wants people to be good. Good people get to go to heaven when they die.
Therapeutic – Our goal is to be healthy, happy, and to feel good about ourselves.
Deism – God created the world and watches it run. He really doesn’t need to be involved with us unless we need help with a problem.
That’s about the extent of our religion and our involvement with God.
The sermons I hear are about how God can change your life. You just need to say some words and get dunked. The “worship” songs aren’t about God; they are about me. God is a peripheral character.
We are told every Sunday that Jesus is the answer to every question. But we never hear about what the questions are.
I would like to hear one single sermon on the strenuous and fraught road of discipleship to Jesus. Or one prayer that isn’t a call for help for some personal or medical problem. Or one song that points to Jesus, the King.