I’ve been pondering the state of discipleship among Christians in America.  I have friends from a wide-range of traditions, Anabaptist, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican – and each has brought up similar issues, “Why don’t people want to go deep in their faith?”  The reason is that we are used to having thing processed for us before we have to deal with it.

Cheese Whiz is a great example.  It melts well, has a mild flavor, and is easily spreadable.  Cheese Steak places will use Whiz because it’s the quickest way to get the cheese mixed with the steak – with the added benefit that “Whiz” is just dang cheap.  No muss, no fuss, and quick.  Easy.  It doesn’t matter that “Whiz” creates a steak with below-average flavor and glows neon orange because of all the artificial crud in it – it’s easily processed.

This is the way that Churches have come to deal with discipleship.  Pastors become overwhelmed by the expectations of their congregation’s unreasonable expectations to be and do everything, so they purchase pre-processed sermons.  CE and Outreach tended to grow upon “Bible Stories,” rather than the Biblical Story and so end up looking for pre-packaged materials to do their deep pondering for them.  This isn’t an indictment on these groups, who are trying to do the best they can – rather, it’s a commentary on how discipleship had fallen off the radar even before the days of pre-processed programs (just add people!).

The problem is, pre-processed discipleship doesn’t work.  The real world isn’t pre-processed, and where we’ve attemped to allow the world to be pre-processed it’s gotten us into deep trouble (and in at least one current war).  We can’t grow up well in Christ having everything chewed for us.  Pre-processed discipleship leads Christians to rate someone’s committment based on what what programs they’ve been part of, rather than the example of their lives.  Pre-processed beliefs about the nature of the Bible lead to the ridiculous claims of books like “The DaVinci” code, and a severe lack of ability on the part of ordinary Christians to talk about the nature of the Bible.  Pre-processed theology draws lines in the sand of faith at odd places which scream, both “Do not cross!” and “If this line is erased the Bible isn’t true!” – leading people to feel that they have no choice but to abandon Christianity if they are to be honest human-beings.

In this world of “Discipleship wit ‘Whiz” the negative impact our pre-processed mentality is easily absorbed because all you need to do is push the scraps together into a new jar and make it look like a new dawn.  There’s no crumbs with pre-processed discipleship, people just consume the neon-orange cheese-food and if they don’t want to come back for more, you just cook up a new batch that will hopefully attract new customers.

I’m not a “Discipleship wit ‘Whiz” kinda guy.  I’d rather see Central help to grow Christians from all walks of life who are able to buck the trend of a pre-processed world through reflection, healthy-introspection, and the discovery of their place in the Biblical story of redemption.  Rather than throwing programs at problems, I’d rather offer to help people develop a theological and Biblical tool-box through which the Holy Spirit can significantly guide our community.  It’s not ‘Whiz.  In fact it’s discipleship that’s messy, exhausting, and which forces people to question their own assumptions about who they are and why they are capable of doing in Christ.  When you step away from the easily spread consumables of “Discipleship wit ‘Whiz” you end up with crumbs, and hurt – but you also gain a richer flavor of the Christian faith, and the healing proclaimed that the sick needed him as their doctor.

Oh, and by the way.  The best cheese steaks have sharp provolone on them.