Lord, Don't Let Me Be a Famous Christian Author

If by God's grace, and the questionable literary tastes of the American book-buying public, I ever achieve widespread recognition for my writing, I desperately hope it's not for my more overtly "Christian books."

Modern successful Christian authors are often turned into demagogues of sorts, their books rendered Gideon's ephod. Big names in Christianity* like Mark Driscoll, John Piper, Tim Keller, Rachel Held Evans (RIP) have developed fandoms that border on cults of personality, so to speak. Whether this is the author's conscious goal or not is different with every heart. There are those who eschew such celebrity worship and give the glory of the message to God, while it seems many are clamoring to be the next theological rebel, the next boat-rocker and wave-maker, rather than meek preachers of the Gospel.

My first two Christian books, Sheep Named Spike and Hog Heaven were, in hindsight, little more than The Bud Sturguess Show; Christ came second. I don't want to put myself before Him anymore. John the Baptist says of Him, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30).

I once saw an interview with John Piper, who strikes me as a very humble and genuine preacher, in which he answered questions written by readers. One of the questions, of course by no fault of Piper's, was, "if you had 2 minutes with the Pope, what would you say?" I hope no one ever wonders or cares what Bud Sturguess would say to the Pope. I hope they have no delight in my Reformed Protestant theological sass and spunk setting Francis straight on a thing or two. 

If - again, by God's grace - any of my work should receive notice and acclaim, I don't want it to be for my "Christian books." I do believe God can be seen in secular works - partly because, nothing is truly secular. There is either that which acknowledges God and that which doesn't; that which gives Him glory and that which ignores or curses Him. Neither "Bootylicious" nor "My Utmost For His Highest" can escape His judgmental and discerning eye.

"And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ" (Colossians 3:23-24).

Not every Christian woodworker builds crosses, but the woodworker who builds a porch for God's glory does more than the cross maker who etches their own name on each one. If I write a book for God's glory, and someone is positively impacted or moved by it, I'd much rather they say "I read some thing by this guy, and this one character said something that really touched me..." than someone read my sermons and gush, "OH. MY. GOSH. BUD STURGUESS IS SO GREAT! HAVE YOU READ BUD'S STUFF?!"

Heaven forbid there ever be a BUD STURGUESS STUDY BIBLE or a BUD STURGUESS DAILY DEVOTIONAL CALENDAR. I want to be a Christian, not a Christian media personality.

"And they said, 'Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.'" -Genesis 11:4

PS Yes, I'm aware of the irony of using Christian writing to declare how I hope to never become famous for Christian writing...and while I'm bordering on hypocrisy, you can check out my books here: lulu.com/spotlight/BudSturguess.

The New Pharisees (Why Hating Religion is a Very Religious Theology)

The problem with trying to fit the Gospel of Jesus Christ into a passing fad slogan, like “WWJD?” or “I Hate Religion, But I Love Jesus,” is that a mere catchphrase does not and cannot encompass all of the gorgeous truth of Jesus, nor do they tell of all His gifts and sacrifices, neither of His teachings and commands. This was the big problem with “What Would Jesus Do?” For one, it implied Him hypothetically, when the fact is that Jesus does still work today, being alive and well; any good we do is His labor on our hearts. The slogan also failed to tell of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection.

This past year, YouTube and Facebook were swarmed with the popularity of a spoken word poem/video that proclaimed hating religion but loving Jesus. The problem with a wildfire catchphrase instead of the wildfire Gospel, again, is that it failed to proclaim all of the good news about Christ; only God’s word does that, this big Book we came to call the Bible.
But the more disconcerting problem with “Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus” is that so many believers, and non-believers, failed to grasp what hating religion truly entails.

Anti-religious theology in Christianity is nothing new. Pastors like Mark Driscoll, a wonderful speaker but one who is often more concerned with making a hip, in-your-face theological statement than with following Scripture, have often made not-quite-accurate statements like “religion killed Jesus,” and further condemns “religious people.”
If Isaiah chapter 53, John 10:17-18, and many other passages, give anything to this matter - which they do, being the very word of God - we’re told that Jesus’ sacrifice was the will of God the Father, that you and I would be reconciled to Him. It was not the will of rich villains that Jesus die for us, He was not an unwitting or unwilling Martyr that held the convenient side effect of saving our souls. No, Jesus’ death was the will of His Father God, a predetermined event first foretold by God Himself when He cast Adam and Eve out of Eden.

Did the New Covenant free us from offering sacrifices or other things that today one would call “religious?” Of course. But religion was not what led Jesus to the cross. It was the desire of God to free us from sin. And as we’re told in Romans, the Law (the Torah) was not sin.

The religion, so to speak, condemned by Jesus was the notion that our works save us; the belief that sinning less than one’s neighbor make us better, that physical and temporary rituals justify us, that anything other than Jesus is what redeems us. That is the religion condemned by Jesus Christ. He did not condemn going to church on Sundays, or some other day, to have fellowship with believers, did not condemn the idea of tithing, did not condemn giving to the poor (quite the polar opposite, actually).

The funny aspect of so many of my brothers and sisters who ravenously condemn “religion” is that they, in their theological dogma, become quite religious themselves, at least by their definition of the word.

I've been judged by a brother for putting a dollar in the collection plate (yes, I’m very cheap). He denounced the notion of tithing at church, and went so far as to say that anyone who does so only does so for approval by other church members (I don’t know how he knew the hearts and minds of everyone who tithes, but that’s another matter). This naturally made me very wary of putting anything in the collection plate, even if it was my usual I.O.U., for fear of my brother’s criticism.
So, my brother’s anti-religious theology had the same effect of the self-righteous scolding of a Pharisee; a Pharisee who might have scolded someone for bringing his donkey out of a ditch on the Sabbath, or partaking of a Feast with unwashed hands. During the time of Jesus’ walk as a Man, Pharisees routinely berated others they deemed in violation of the Law, and exalted themselves above them. Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector who pray in the temple is an astounding illustration of the mind of the religion He indeed condemns.

So, my brothers’ denouncement of my putting money in the church collection plate (or the I.O.U. I indeed would have tried to pay), though knowing nothing of my heart’s intent, told me that my deed was not good enough, and his view made him closer to God in a hip, new way because he deems himself smarter than, or above, some weekly thing done by other believers.

Do you really think Pharisees are gone, that they don’t scold and judge among us today? Do you really think you're incapable of judging others, of esteeming yourself better than anyone, just because you deem yourself “non-religious?”
No, the Pharisaical mind is still alive and well. Not only in those who exalt themselves because they follow tradition, but in those who exalt themselves because they don’t.

The Pharisaical mind is alive and well in those who curse a brother or sister because they pray in the King James “thy” and “thou” language, in those who label another believer’s worship “not good enough” because he does it the same day every week at the same building.

Tell me, how is this different than the Pharisees who condemned their brothers and sisters two thousand years ago?

“…he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wrangling of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.” -1 Timothy 6:4-5
“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” -Philippians 2:3