Criticistianity (Critical Christians)
How to repent of a critical spirit
Robert Wurtz II
Why, then, do you criticize your brother? Or why do you despise your brother? For all of us will stand before the judgment seat of God. (Romans 14:10)
When Edward Bernays coined the term “public relations” and founded the industry, it is doubtful that many could foresee just how the feedback loops would create an opinion-driven culture. Find out what the people want, compare that to what you’re doing, and make adjustments to please as many people as possible. Think about how often in any given day we are asked to “rate” a service, provide feedback, or cast a vote based upon our judgment of something or someone. It’s as if the world is conditioning people to become expert faultfinders.
The spirit of American Idol
What happens when this attitude begins to infiltrate churches? Not having a proper definition to describe my answer, I created one: Criticistianity. You will notice I combined criticism and Christianity. What a foul mixture! Yet the behavior is more vile. Why? Because we risk losing an essential part of ministry in the body of Christ altogether.
Imagine the destructiveness of Christians measuring other Christians’ contributions to the kingdom the same way the three-judge panel measures the audition of a would-be American Idol. If that would not be an abomination, I don’t know what would.
Set Up for Criticism
The people of God get set up for worldly criticism from fellow believers. Imagine the destruction when a believer dares to come forward with their talent, and rather than being measured for its potential ministerial value or edification, it is scrutinized through the critical eye of America’s Got Talent. Strike one, two, three… you’re out!
When this outlook invades a church, we will forfeit the potential Davids, Mary Magdalenes, Peters, Pauls, Johns, Stevens, or Jameses. God forbid that His ministers would be laughed at and mocked because the crowd was listening for talent rather than anointing. And by anointing, I don’t mean “I liked it.”
I asked a young person recently why most of their peers won’t step out to minister; they replied, “Because they are too afraid they will be mocked or told what they have done wrong afterwards.”
Preferring Talent to Anointing
At some point over the last 50 years, a sinister concept has entered many circles. It has been fostered, in my view, by Christian television that has sought out the most beautiful singers, choirs, and instrumentalists; the most eloquent, refined, and articulate speakers to show off to the world and the churches of God. We started producing performers rather than ministers.
What happened? A generation wanted to show the world that we have just as ‘good of talent’ as they do. So we started forging potential ministers into worldly behavior and preference. Much of what we saw was no longer ministry from a heart that loves God and serves him, but a phony substitute. Pretty soon, it didn’t matter if you were holy and living right; all that mattered was that you could perform.
Childhood Memories
The modern approach to much that is called “ministry” is utterly contrary to the church meetings I remember from my childhood. I recall a day when men and women would get up and preach and sing from the depths of their hearts. It was powerful. I had a sense that the preacher believed what he preached, and the singer meant what they were singing. Today, that doesn’t seem to matter at all. It’s more about your stage presence and mannerisms. Strangely, it’s often about how cool your outward appearance looks or how high a note a man can hit during the song.
There are so many ways to fake sincerity and project a false and even soulish power. It sounds powerful to those who have never had a front row seat to the real thing. It is just sad that a whole generation of Christians has no idea what I’m talking about. Ironically, they likely would say that it is I who is critical. The world might gravitate to players like the children of Israel who played as Moses was on the mountain, or worse, like Eli’s sons who flirted with the women, but God is looking for pray-ers like Hannah’s son.
Idols or Ministers
In the old days, people didn’t do things in the church to be seen. If they did, it wasn’t obvious. The goal was to glorify God and not self. Nobody dared to divide the worship between them and God or attempt to steal His glory. No one was trying to be idolized. People feared God too much to engage in such highhandedness.
If we are moving in an American Idol type construct, we will create the same thing American Idol creates: men and women made up to be IDOLs. It is what the secular program is designed to do. Think about it. It aims to elevate one or more individuals in the eyes of the world. The more exalted the ‘teen idol’ is, the more profitable the enterprise. It’s only capitalism to many of them, so beware. It’s an abomination to God and one example of something that should never be practiced in churches.
Coolness or Holiness?
What are the all-too-often results? Sadly, some of the most lauded and popular, as has also happened from time to time in the Christian music world, the singer is found to have been in adultery, homosexuality, or some other vice, like drugs and alcoholism. They lose their contract, and it becomes a huge scandal.
Their singing was said to be ‘powerful’, but now there is chaos and confusion. I don’t want to be denunciatory, but whatever happened to just being sincere and meaning what you sing? Whatever happened to being moved by the spirit rather than feeling coerced into the singer “performing” and then the crowd into “participating”? I don’t recall a crowd having to be prodded to worship God in the past. Why? Because those singers had a way of making folk feel what they felt when they sang.
Sadly, they wouldn’t pass muster in today’s society, which criticizes the performance rather than worship. Those who used to fill our pulpits and lead our worship services were like Paul: they often had a weak bodily presence and spoke contemptibly. But when they ministered, they meant it, and the people believed them. Everyone was edified and God was glorified. There was no performance or pretense. The ministers endeavored to live holy lives, and it reflected in their ministry. It wasn’t a performance, nor was it entertainment.