Looking into the lectionary - Is faith something to market?

February 25, 2024 Second Sunday of Lent Mark 8:31-38 In 1999, when Joel Osteen took over for his father as pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, his marketing team launched a city-wide campaign, “We Believe in New Beginnings.” The campaign began with television ads, then branched to local billboards, marketing videos, and even bumper stickers. By the time the campaign was finished, nearly everyone in Houston knew about the “New Beginning” at Lakewood. Today, Joel Osteen’s podcast is one of the most popular on iTunes, he’s written multiple bestselling books, and his message extends across all media. Phil Cooke, Joel Osteen’s media manager, writes, “In a media-driven culture, no matter how powerful your message, if no one’s listening, you’ve failed.” Let me be honest. I have never been a fan of Joel Osteen’s prosperity theology. It does not line up with the way I read and interpret Scripture. However, Joel Osteen (and his people) know how to market a message. If you’re reading this, maybe you’re like me and you turn your nose up at the public marketing of faith. When I watch an expensive ad for Jesus during the Super Bowl, I wonder how many hungry people could have been fed with that money. I’ve also inherited a Protestant ethic of politeness, singing the virtue of a quiet, humble faith, averring it’s overly forward to speak of your Christian faith with anyone, anywhere. But in the text from Mark for this Second Sunday of Lent, we hear Jesus tell his disciples that if “any want to become my followers … let them take up their cross and follow me” (v. 34). In his book Preaching Mark in Two Voices (co-written with Brian Blount), Gary Charles reminds us of what the cross meant for Mark’s readers: a “public spectacle”; an inhumane form of execution meant to put the criminal or the political dissident on display. It was a public shaming for anyone daring to rebel against the powers of Rome or claim any god other than the Roman emperor. ... Read the rest of the commentary on the website. Editor’s note: After publishing this lectionary reflection, we learned about the tragic shooting at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston on Sunday, February 11. There is no justification for such horrific violence. We pray for the victims, the Lakewood Church community, and an end to America’s endemic of gun violence. Order of worship for February 25, 2024. These liturgies are free to use. Horizons — The Ethiopian’s encounter by Rosalind Banbury Faith in God’s purpose (February 25, 2024) by Naomi McQuiller Where we started. Where we are now. — Weekly Christian ed lesson by Joelle Brummit-Yale Want the worship resources for February 18, 2024? You can find them here. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT... We need more Howard Thurman in our politics The theologian and often-overlooked civil rights hero would have warned us against politics as a zero-sum game. — RNS PC(USA) response to Texas migrant tactics falls short The state of Texas is flouting human rights law, and the PC(USA)'s response rings hollow, opines Robert Lowry. Grieving Room: Making Space for all the Hard Things After Death and Loss Leanne Friesen is a “wounded healer,” writing from personal experience with enough distance to share both theological reflections and practical suggestions. — Amy Pagliarella The interim labyrinth Is your church going through a period of transition? Christian Shearer offers his favorite metaphor for congregational discernment: the labyrinth. In defense of the common congregation Scott Hagley suggests small congregations as places for cultivating communities of abundance and care, as common places for social healing and spiritual renewal.