Faith in the ‘Burbs

It’s really no secret.

I. Love. The suburbs.

I grew up in the suburbs and have never really lived anywhere else, and I honestly don’t ever plan on living anywhere else…

But here’s the thing… I’ve struggled with living in the suburbs and being a Christian. I’ve had questions that I have never been able to shake such as:

Can Christianity and the suburbs exist together?

If they can, then how are we called to live as Christians within the suburbs?

Is a “rich Christian” an oxy-moron?

When Jesus says, “the Son of Man has no where to lay his head…” and explains costly discipleship throughout the entire new testament, it causes me to take a step back… As I have, for the past 3 years of my life, resided in a 5 bedroom house two blocks from the water in the heart of Orange County…

Here’s the thing (buckle-up haha) if I read through scripture from cover to cover, if I look at the lives of the apostles and disciples, the life of Christ, and the expectations he lies on his followers I DO NOT immediately look at the American suburban church and think they’ve got it right.

In fact I think the exact opposite.

I think, “Man, we’ve gotten it completely wrong”

Inundated by materials, possessions, and white picket fences.

Completely blinded by the American dream.

And hear me out, before you blow a gasket, I acknowledge none of these things are wrong in and of themselves. In fact I’m lead to believe these things are good, I enjoy nice clothes, my old man new balance kicks, I loved my dog that I named “Yoshi” at the age of ten, and on top of all that, I would love to someday be an owner of a 2 story house in the middle of whatever suburb…

I like these things, I enjoy them, I think their good, but when we come to points where we base our lives around these things, we work longer ours to buy bigger and better things, and become “successful” people. We then, lose and completely miss the point.

I’m worried.

I’m worried for myself.

I’m worried for the church in suburban America.

I think we’ve gotten it completely, uttlerly wrong.

“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”- Matt 25:10

Does, this quote not mean anything to us? Does it not worry any of us? The thing is, I know it does, I’ve spoken to pastors, friends, and other church goers who i know this destroys, but we’re able to suppress these words, put Jesus’ teaching on the back shelf, find that church that is going to please our itching ears…

Those of you who’ve made it this far in reading this (I can just hear the others feet running from this blog to never return) its cool my mom will still read it…

But let me get to my point:

House, white picket fences, dogs, flat screen tv’s and the American dream, I don’t believe are bad, but when they detract from the goal, they are.

They are wicked.

So the question still remains, what does it look like to live out ones faith, to follow Jesus within the suburbs?

Ask yourself (if you’re in the ‘burbs):

• When was the last time you shared the gospel with a friend?
• When was the last time you invited a stranger into your home?
• When was the last time you sold something and gave to the poor?
• When was the last time you had a banquet, dinner, party for the poor? (or let alone, attended one?)
• When was the last time you baptized someone in the name of the holy spirit, went out and had intentional meeting with someone with the attempt at discpling them…?
• Have you ever considered discipling someone?

I’ve asked this question before, and I’ll ask it again, can you read through the scriptures and take the picture of Christ, and/or what he describes his followers to be and say wholeheartedly, “That’s me”?

Is your life, in the very least, headed on a trajectory path towards this radical, biblical faith described in scripture?