I think I’m serving in the wrong denomination. A recent news story from the Detroit area reports that a Redford Township church has just brought its pastor and family a $ 3.65 million dollar mansion. Because the property now falls under the tax-exempt status afforded to churches, township officials were upset but had no choice but to lose the $ 40,000 in annual revenue for the 11,000 square foot home.
The understanding behind this development is an extravagant brand of Christian teaching known as a “health and wealth” theology. It is taught and obviously practiced by the 4,000-member Detroit World Outreach Church who surrounded their pastor with this lavish lifestyle. They believe God’s desires the faithful to do well and wants to abundantly supply them with beautiful things. Other more prominent names associated with the prosperity movement include Joel Osteen, T. D. Jakes and Pat Robertson.
Is there harm in this interpretation of being “blessed by God?” After all, Jesus is found saying in John 10:10 that his mission was to offer his followers life and to offer it “abundantly.” As a loving parent, why would God not want the best for all of God’s children?
Apart from the obvious inequity of distribution, I notice another telling problem with this “prosperity theology.” It is the temptation to limit our understanding of abundance to mere material possessions. Do we really believe that the acquisition of more and more stuff leads to greater and deeper fulfillment? Even if you are quick to answer a resounding “no,” I wonder how many still hold to a “mansion in the sky” hope that the sacrifices I endure on earth will be honored by greater rewards in heaven? If that is your perspective, then why should you have to wait until you die? Aren’t we supposed to pray “on earth as it is in heaven?”
But there is another possibility. What if abundance (and prosperity) as spiritual realities have very little to do with materialism? Could we value being rich in mercy, love and friendship as much as we value being surrounded with marble floors and vaulted ceilings? Could we appreciate the value of a beautiful sunset that is not marred by more concrete and drywall? What if we valued the process of increasing the size of our minds and our hearts as much as our living spaces? Would you still want to go to heaven if it was a call to service and not a Taj Mahal?
What makes living enjoyable is not always having more stuff. In the Synoptic gospels, Jesus teaches about the allure and worries of material possessions and riches that distance us from the kingdom of God. While material riches don’t always keep us out of the kingdom, it doesn’t always guarantee its arrival. With wealth comes greater responsibility and the warning that our love for it might blind us to deeper and more fulfilling pursuits.
So it is an irony of our times that the man who had no earthly home would also have such dedicated followers who see no conflict with a multi-million dollar parsonage. Perhaps more spiritual wisdom was offered by Township Clerk Sue Hillebrand who complained that Northville schools can ill afford to lose more revenue. But she's amazed by the church's generosity. "They could buy a very, very nice home out here for half a million," she said. "Can you imagine how many miracles you could perform, how many people you could help with the $3 million left over?"
