Sunday, May 3, 2009
just blowing a little steam..
today at church i was having a hard time. it was the sermon. maybe i'm missing some things in the translation, but i think the message was acutally pretty clear. the pastor said that to prosper, we need to pray hard and work hard. and basically, people who don't prosper - it's because they don't pray hard or know jesus personally, or also because they don't work hard. if you work hard and love jesus he will bless you with prosperity. to me, that's a load of bull. i mean, maybe he knows that his congregation needs to be encouraged to work and pray, but i feel like that is the kind of theology that screws you up. because if you don't prosper, it's your own fault and you should've prayed more or worked harder. he even went so far as to use the example of bill gates becoming so rich. he said that he started with nothing, and through hard work, he made great wealth. aah, it makes me so mad. is that what these people really need to hear? these people who have nothing. who can't pay for their kids to eat more than once a day. who can't pay for their kids to go to school. who are sick and dying from preventable and treatable diseases. that they didn't work hard enough? or they could've prayed harder? then god would have blessed them with 'prosperity'. i just don't believe it. it makes me mad. again, there could be a whole cultural issue that i'm missing and don't get. but i dunno. maybe in three months i will have a different opinion. maybe those of you who have spent time in africa can enlighten me :)
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sounds worth blowing off steam. it's so difficult to try and contradict or nuance when a literal reading of deuteronomy would teach a health/wealth reading. (oh thank goodness for the ecclesiastes, the minor prophets, and Jesus!)
ReplyDeleteand what a strange thing to be present for that sermon when you are white, privileged, etc. (and from the city of bill gates none the less!) I wonder how you will engage those around you with this reality.
It's not just you, it's incredibly frustrating to see the prosperity gospel taking hold in such poor communities. I would encourage you to engage with Pastor Amos about it. Tell him you had a hard time with the sermon and that you have (respectful) questions. Be sure to do your homework, though! Be ready to bring it!
ReplyDeleteMaybe we can talk about it a bit more on Friday.
I agree. The prosperity gospel is a great temptation in Africa. I like Phil 1:29--we not only have the privilege of believing, but of suffering. David Wilkerson says that God dares to put his greatest saints behind bars. Consider the Apostle Paul. Rod
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're wrestling with this Leah, and I hope you guys can have some good conversations in Dodoma. Rod & Leisha - thanks for your comments also! Just to add a link to this conversation - check out this page:
ReplyDeletehttp://theisensees.blogspot.com/2009/04/blog-post.html
for fun - and these pages for more on this issue:
http://www.christiancentury.org/article.lasso?id=3494
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/july/12.22.html