THE CREEPS

Christian bookstores just creep me out!

There. I said it. Now what!?

I have long had this problem. I am compelled by some dastardly force to be the yin for the yang....or is it the yang for the yin. Whatever!. When I serve churches of a more liberal bent, I have been the staff conservative. When I have served churches of a more conservative stripe, I have been the staff liberal. I have been deservedly blasted from both sides of the political spectrum at one time or another.

But, I have been consistent with my queasiness in “Christian” bookstores.

I had to go into one a few weeks ago. My precious daughter Marguerite likes to listen to Cedarmont Kids CDs while driving around in the car. As a parent, I think the music is excellent for children her age. Most Christian bookstores carry the series. So does Wal-mart. I have been to Wal-marts in four states looking for a particular CD without success. Since I would march barefoot through the gates of Hell for Daddy’s Little Girl, I decided to brave a “family Christian bookstore” at a local mall to find the album. It wasn’t easy.

I can deal with the massive display of Bibles. Actually, I rather like the Bible. Unlike some of my more liberal friends, I have no doubt that the Bible is the “inspired Word of God” and will proclaim it so to my dying day without apology. My favorite edition is the Geneva Study New King James Version, but I find several other translations interesting and useful. I like the commentary embedded in the text. It helps explain the literary and historical background of each passage.

I also like some of the books found in the store. Every Christian should read Luther’s Theology of the Cross, as well as the entire output of heros like Dietrich Bonhoeffer and C. S. Lewis. Some of the modern church sociologists are nutty, others are quite insightful. Some are actually nutty and insightful.

Its more the other “stuff” that bugs me: Some of the jewelry with depictions of the empty tomb dangling from a wrist bracelet. Doormats with “I stand at the door and knock” and electric trains with “Jesus Saves” emblazoned on the box cars. Magazines musing about “What Would Jesus Eat?” (My answer: “Well, crawfish, cornbread and fried okra, of course!”)

Part of my problem is that I can’t clearly define what “my problem” is with these stores. I just know that I would rather order my “Christian” books on the Internet than enter one of these businesses.

It is not entirely the commercialism. Even people who make Bibles have to eat food, buy houses and pay $75 for a tank of gas. After all, for many years I, myself made quite a fine living leading church music.

It is not even the gaudiness of some of the products for sale. Who am I to make a cultural judgement on what different people find meaningful? Both the St. Matthew Passion and The Ninety and Nine speak with power to some of God’s children.

It is not the people working in the stores. An attractive and helpful young lady took me straight to the children’s music section and helped me find the CD my daughter was looking for. She even offered to wrap it for free if it was to be given as a gift. Nothing creepy about her.

Maybe it was the whole business about taking Jesus and packaging Him into whatever shape or form might serve our purposes. Certainly, our Father created all food. It is His desire that we should take the best care of our bodies...that He called His “temple.” But, do we really want to be arrogant enough to speculate on what Jesus would choose to eat were He in His pre-ascended form in the United States of the early 21st century?

Taking the Gospel and reshaping it for our human purpose has been a sad feature of the Church since the apostles Paul and Silas got into a fist fight in the church parking lot about what color the nursery would be painted. Both combatants were certain that Jesus Himself would have agreed with their preferences in decor.

But the truth is that Jesus probably had other things to concern Himself with...like sorting out Bill Baker!

I can imagine Our Lord dropping by a Christian bookstore at the nearby mall and saying, “Hey guys... books about growing in faith, fun jewelry, cool toys, great music... all of this is good. My Father created you for life abundant and joyful. Enjoy all of these things and give Him alone the glory. But you don’t have to slap my Name on everything. Please don’t use my Name for your endorsement...I have already endorsed you and everything in this world with My grace and love.”

Soli Deo Gloria,
Bill