This Christmas Eve, hundreds of people in our towns will put on their Sunday best outfits for one of their twice-a-year visits to church. The other annual visit is for Easter, which led some churchies to invent the slightly derisive term “Chreaster people” to describe these semi-annual migrators.
Having been a member of both groups, I understand the tension between them intimately. Chreaster people like the warm, almost-magical feelings that come with the holiest holidays for their faith, but they don’t want to fully identify with the churchies.
Meanwhile, the churchies put on their game faces, and work to make themselves look as attractive as possible by updating the décor with flowers and candles, hiding the offering envelopes (usually), singing recognizable songs like “Silent Night”, and giving an easy-to-digest sermon. The trend is to use the Christmas Eve service as a prime marketing opportunity to get the Chreaster people to come back next Sunday.
It’s been a tradition for many years now, but it hasn’t resulted in much growth. Church attendance has been slowly declining since the 1960’s, and there’s no sign that it’s going to turn around. I regularly hear on TV that we’re on the verge of another religious Great Awakening in this country, but I don’t think we’re close to that at all.
The existence of Chreaster people is proof that what churches are doing now isn’t resonating with people who have a moderate interest in spirituality. The earlier awakening movements were driven by huge shifts in thought on doctrine, ritual, and the personal nature of faith; none of which you’ll find today.
The biggest trend right now? Many people now call themselves “spiritual, but not religious.” Even some younger Christians are trying to disassociate themselves from the Christian label by calling themselves “Christ-followers” (I’ve been guilty of this).
Whether it’s true or not, religion has become a dirty word, and is quickly becoming associated with stuffy, human-created rules, and none of the magic, love, or warm feelings that the new spirituality-without-rules seems to offer.
A pastor friend of mine once pointed out to me that Jesus’ message is a balance of love and truth. When we talk too much about the truth, and not so much about the love, we end up becoming too focused on the rules. Don’t drink, don’t be gay, don’t vote Democrat, and be sure to tithe the full ten percent of your income (we’re watching you).
The flipside to this is too much love, which makes for an easier life on earth, but might result in a nasty surprise when you get to the afterlife and are denied entrance because you didn’t follow a few specific instructions. Certainly, Christianity’s public image among non-believers would benefit from more love, and less concern with following minor rules.
I won’t pretend to believe that I have all the answers for the next Great Awakening, or to make regular believers out of Chreaster people, but if I could take the title of Protestant pope for a day, I’d try the following:
Break up the current American model of church
Jesus didn’t ask people to create multi-million dollar, 400-seat auditoriums to use for three hours a week (and leave empty the rest of the time). Many churches are set up more like corporations with marketing plans rather than soup kitchens.
On average, churches use up about 85 percent of their funds to pay for staff, buildings, and internal programs (the last church I was heavily involved in spent closer to 98 percent). That’s not a lot of money left over to serve others with, and it can make the paid staff more concerned with their salaries than with helping others. The number one priority needs to be service to others, and not building a social club.
Stay out of politics
One of the biggest complaints (true or not) is that Christians are trying to create morality through legislation, which ultimately won’t work. Groups like the Family Research Council are devoted full-time to tracking what Congress does under the guise of promoting “traditional family values”.
I can’t find anywhere in the New Testament where Christians are commanded to do anything like this. We’re commanded to be holy ourselves, but not to create groups that will draft rules to enforce said holiness. That’s what the Pharisees did, and they were the recipients of Jesus’ greatest criticisms.
Focus on the real problems
I’ve never been able to find anyone who would criticize Mother Theresa. She dedicated her life to social justice and serving the poor, while ignoring her own self interests. So why don’t we emulate her? Well, it’s too hard, and we have Christian leaders with titles and TV shows who tell us that we don’t have to work that hard. Say this prayer, write that check, and you’re good to go.
Even atheists would agree that following her example would be a good thing for everyone. Gandhi once said, “If Christians would really live according to the teachings of Christ, as found in the Bible, all of India would be Christian today.”
The decline in attendance and the rise of Chreaster people aren’t simply an image problem, and won’t be solved with marketing. But it can be fixed if we’re willing to break out of old habits.
