Study: ‘Buying experiences, not possessions, leads to greater happiness’

San Francisco State University-EurekAlert (HT: Kent Shaffer)

Suggestions from the Consumer-Driven Church: Redux

By Bill Kinnon

I’m a consumer.

Nothing wrong with that.
I like nice things.
Shiny things.
Techie things.
Tasty things.
Dark beers with a rich foam head.
Did I mention?
I’m a consumer.

So. You want me in your church. Here’s how to get me.

1. Parking. I need lots of space for my big SUV. And it better be close to the doors. Don’t want to do much walking. So if it isn’t - how about a shuttle.

2. Nice Building. This is important. I’m not interested in some strip mall church that looks like it’s struggling. Or an old traditional church - unless you’ve done millions in renos. I’m an upwardly model semi-professional. I want my surroundings to reflect my importance.

3. Proper HVAC. This isn’t important. It’s critical. I want to be cool when it’s warm and warm when it’s cool. 68ºF to 72ºF - year round. Is that too much to ask.

4. Comfy chairs. And when I say chairs, I mean chairs. Preferably theater-style. With wide arm rests. Give me some space for my girth - and safe distance from the other arriving consumers.

Read the rest

‘Deconstructing Christmas’

In an essay posted at Emergent Village, Mark Douglass, co-leader of the Wilderness Way Community, considers which Christmas elements are worth keeping, and which need to be ‘tossed’:

“Keep: Songs and Traditions from Around the World — again, the transcultural/contextual paradox of Christ’s birth invites a wealth of music and celebration to connect us with the world’s celebration of Christ …
 
Toss: Material Gifts — We live in a time of year-round excess that needs a strong witness to restraint. What better witness than turning Christmas into a season of charitable giving and gifts of time, presence, and community rather than another opportunity for material excess?”

Read the whole thing.

Is Project Red a good thing?

Sure, says Laura Murray at the Tapestry blog … but it doesn’t encourage the kind of sacrificial giving Scripture commends:

“When I walk into one of their stores in December, I can self-gratify through my drink as well as self-gratify by giving to someone in need.  When it comes down to it, it’s not about those in Africa, it’s about me.  Brilliant marketing to the American culture where philanthropy is beginning to be the ‘in’ thing … or is it?”

Official RED website.

Not in the Gospels …

(HT: Alive & Young)

Weekend Walkabout: Nov. 21, 2008

[Friends, I'm pressed for time today – please pardon the dearth of posts. May your weekend be a joyful one. You can help it in that direction by making time to seek Him. See you Monday, Lord willing.  - HC]

26 posts from the week that escaped mention (almost!):

• The Addict in Us All, Carolyn McCulley
• Benedict on Monasticism, The Anchoress
• Considering Servant Leadership (parts one, two, three), Jan Lynn
• Dear Church Member, Ragamuffin Soul
• The Empty Promise of Meditation, Al Mohler
• Five by Five, Defending. Contending.
• Great Ideas for churches to make the most of Christmas, what’s next
• Happy 100th Birthday, Irene Peterson!, John Piper
• If not consumerism, what?, Rod Dreher
• Joshua Guthrie: Dollar for a Drink, Alex Harris
• Korea - 14 Days - Questions, Questions, Questions…, John Saddington
• Lately, I’ve Been Rethinking My Position on Gay Marriage, Locusts & Honey
  
• A Mother’s Hope, girl talk
• New Archaeological Evidence for the Old Testament?, Aaron C. Rathburn
  
• Operation 513: In Memory of a Fellow Evangelist, Reformed Evangelist
  
• Puritan Reformed Journal, Vol. 1, Michael Dewalt
  
• Qeiyafa, Looting, and Buried Secrets, Todd Bolen
• The Realism of the Supernatural, Sally Thomas
• Study: Two Thirds of Americans Believe Their Values Not Shared by Hollywood, Sharper Iron
  
• Ten Dollar Blessings and a Lesson in Circles, Billy Coffey
• The Unresolved Tensions of Evangelicalism Part 1: The Biblical Worldview, Michael Spencer
• Videos of the Week - 11/20/08, Collide
• Why I Gave Up ‘Humility’, John Stackhouse
• X-Ray Discovery Sparked 19th-Century DIY Craze, Wired Science
• Your ‘past’ year resolution?, Eugene Cho
• Zondervan Acquires Online Community-Building Resource for Churches, Justin Taylor

“Christian faux products”

Sam Van Eman critiques some Christian products that look curiously similar to secular ones (HT: High Calling Blogs).

[NB: For what it's worth, my two boys absolutely love the Nemo-like Kingdom Under the Sea series ... they haven't been tainted by cynicism yet.  - HC]

Re-thinking America’s economic habits

At the Center for a Just Society website, Mark T. Mitchell, Associate Professor of Government at Patrick Henry College, offers “Ten Questions and a Modest Proposal,” in response to the recent economic crisis.

An excerpt:

“2. The bailout was ostensibly necessary to protect our ‘American way of life.’ That such a reason was offered without justification indicates that our way of life is an axiom that must be assumed but never questioned. But is it too much to consider, if only for a moment, that perhaps our way of life is precisely the problem? Of course, a way of life is a complex thing, but insofar as the “American way of life” consists in living beyond our means, it is unsustainable. To the extent that consumer credit is at an all-time high and personal savings is at an all-time low, the ‘American way of life’ is irresponsible.”

(HT: Acton PowerBlog)

How much do we really need?

Bonnie details an interesting experiment in frugality at Intellectuelle:

“I read with interest an article in last month’s Reader’s Digest (at my neighbor’s house) about a family who decided to buy nothing for a whole month except essentials like milk and fresh fruit. Non-essentials included eating out, the Internet, babysitting, and even gasoline. How did it go? …”

Chris Tomlin on music consumerism

“It seems like we’re going through songs today, like every three weeks you’ve got to have a new song. That’s that consumer mentality.”

- Tomlin in a recent interview by Gospel Soundcheck’s Joanne Brokaw.

The song-writer and worship leader has a new album out, called Hello Love.