Become all you're meant to (Wk 2: Beyond Consumerism) - Vince Brackett

SPEAKER NOTES

The Hobbit

I want to start by watching a scene from the film version of ::JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit.::

To set this up: Bilbo Baggins, played by Martin Freeman, is a hobbit who lives a very comfortable life in the Shire. The night before what we’re about to watch, Gandalf the wizard and 13 dwarves show up at his house and invite him to leave that comfortable life to help them on a dangerous but important quest. In the process these house guests make a mess of Bilbo’s house and possessions, doing things like playing catch with his fine dining plates, and Bilbo freaks out about his stuff and is utterly overwhelmed and out of his comfort zone by the whole thing.

He makes clear he is not joining them on this dangerous quest, no matter how important.

This scene is the morning after when he wakes up to find Gandalf and the 13 dwarves gone…

::[Watch]::

Bilbo goes from fretting about his plates to: “I can’t stop, I’m already late! I’m going on an adventure!” Despite the risk, the promise of being a part of something bigger than himself grabs him enough to go for it — inspiring!

And yet, what I love about ::Martin Freeman’s portrayal:: is: Bilbo clearly by no means understands what he’s gotten into — I love how awkward and still-partially-unsure he seems when he catches up to the dwarves and says “I signed it!” Like: See! I don’t care about my plates anymore. I care about the quest — See! Can’t you tell? I really meant it!

That feels like such an accurate portrayal of taking such a step — Bilbo doesn’t leave his comforts like flipping a light switch, that’s not how this works… BUT nonetheless it’s still inspiring! We see him here make the crucial first step toward a life bigger than his possessions and comfort.

Let’s come back to that ::in a minute…::

Context

So we’ve got two series of talks going at the same time right now here at our church — and I love the back and forth they’re providing us.

- Kyle is taking us through Prophetic Voices from the Old Testament and how they speak truth to power in ways that really resonate for America right now.
- And the first week of January I started the series I’m picking up today, which is taking us through one of Jesus’ favorite topics of conversations: “the Kingdom of God” — ::Particularly how his invitation into the KoG is an invitation out of our ordinary worlds and into a special world that can transform us:: — in the same pattern as the fantasy stories and hero’s journeys we all love — like The Hobbit or Harry Potter or any number of others that I would love to talk to you about later, so feel free to ask, because I love all of them.

Hopefully you’re enjoying this back and forth!

Quick Review

Perhaps you’ll remember last time when I kicked off this series, we talked about how, in cultures all throughout history, there seems to be an innate attraction to stories of people departing their ordinary worlds and entering into special worlds — that are an initiation of danger and challenges beyond a character’s comfort zone, BUT that also bring them new friendships and discoveries and purpose, and through all this: personal transformation into all they’re meant to be. They return from their journey changed.

I mentioned last time this theological idea that ::Jesus (in his life, death, and resurrection) is the departure-initiation-return pattern incarnated:: Maybe that’s why God comes to humanity in Jesus, in the incarnation - to show us a “journey of transformation story” come to life — all of our millions of cultures’ myths throughout history become reality in Jesus.

And he calls people to follow him. We are invited to walk into our own unique pattern of departure-initiation-return so we can be transformed. It’s not just for fantasy stories. It’s for real life.

::The special world, in the case of following Jesus, is what he calls “the Kingdom of God” — a spiritual reality, here for us all to tap into, if we can trust what we cannot see.::

Content

Our glimpse of Bilbo Baggins from the Hobbit shines light on what is, I think, one of the major realities of ::the ordinary world::

::Possessions, comfort, materialism — And in 21st century America what that mainly means is consumerism.::

Consumerism is what’s so often is in charge in the ordinary world for us. It controls our life-planning, from a very young age.

When I was a kid, the message to me was to get good grades in my eduction. Why? So I could go to a good college. Why? So I could be marketable for a good career. Why? So I could make good money. Why? So I could buy things

• to keep up our economy of things, which supposedly will help me support myself and a family,
• and also so I can save for the future. Why? So I can buy more expensive things.

It’s not totally fair to paint it quite so starkly, and there is a kernel of something more meaningful there in the whole “support a family” thing, BUT what I’m getting at is the limited experience of life available in the ordinary world ruled by consumerism and possessions and comfort.

Like Bilbo freaking out about his plates, in a moment when our comfort is threatened, our possessions seem so important! They seems like the height of importance! They seems like all we’ve worked for, like all we know, like all we are.

But then, also like Bilbo, maybe we wake up the next morning, and we realize, wait a minute, comfort isn’t what I’m longing for. That isn’t what makes me feel alive!

A few weeks back, I lost my AirPods. I can honestly tell you they were the best purchase I made in 2019 — I used them everyday, they brought me joy as I listened to my podcasts and music as I commuted, they upgraded my dishwashing game 10-fold because no longer would I reach across the kitchen with wires dangling getting caught on things that rip my earbuds out of my ears. I loved my AirPods.

And then I lost them. And I was so upset. Because they’re expensive. And I couldn’t just buy new ones without consequence.

But, more than that, I was upset that I couldn’t get over it. That it affected my life so much. That I had such a hard time being present with other people after I realized I’d lost them. I don’t want to be the kind of person who can’t get over losing something material. I’m not that guy, right? I’m a guy of higher values. I’m the guy who can let this kind of thing go.

But I’m not. This experience showed me I’m not that guy. I might aspire to be that, or try to present myself that way (like Bilbo), and that’s not nothing. But the facts of this experience of losing my AirPods bore out the real truth: I’m a materialist and a consumer at a very foundational level, just like every other American.

That is a massive part of my ordinary world. That is a massive part of your Ordinary World. The Consumerism-driven lifestyle.

Matthew 6

::In Matthew 6,:: Jesus is recorded delivering a prolonged stretch of teachings on money and possessions that feels helpful here.

In it, he says things like:

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven...” (ESV)

And this stretch of teaching culminates with one of Jesus’ many “Kingdom of God” invitations:

“Seek first the Kingdom of God” (ESV)

In other words, the most worthwhile things to prioritize in life are not purchased — they are intangible — transformation, spiritual fulfillment, higher purpose and calling, companionship and community. “Money can’t buy me love” in the words of the Beatles.

But the most connecting part of this teaching from Jesus for me is not just his point, ::it is that he ties this to anxiety:::

Do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to your span of life?…

And, skipping to his final flourish…

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (ESV)

Very Yoda, that last line. That’s why I chose this specific English translation of the Bible — so Jesus would sound like Yoda. Very on brand for my series.

Anyway, tying “seek first the Kingdom of God” to anxiety is connecting to me because it feels like what we saw in Bilbo in that scene — no one can just flip a light switch to leave comfort and possessions behind… We may try to present ourselves like we’ve flipped a light switch but our body language will betray us —

I find Jesus’ last comment that each day will bring its own anxieties really interesting. It’s sort of like Jesus is saying: anxiety is an unavoidable part of life, you’re going to be stretched thin and stressed. That just is.

BUT we have the ability to choose whether we are stretched thin ::on consumerism’s terms (in the ordinary world) or on God’s terms (in the Kingdom of God).::

Consumerism is unforgiving and soul-killing. We experience ::restlessness and a lack of contentment constantly looking to tomorrow, it teaches us to compare ourselves to our peers — ruining our self-image or breeding resentment toward others, we become increasingly comfortable with ethical compromises, so long as our lifestyle is maintained.::

BUT being stretched thin in the Kingdom of God is different.

It is being stretched thin. No doubt. The middle act of our journeys of transformation is unavoidably sacrifices, trials, hardships, initiation. We will face stresses like loneliness, complexity, betrayal, weariness, crisis.

BUT if those stresses come to us because we’ve left the ordinary world of consumerism — because we’ve decided to give money away instead of spend it, because we’ve made choices to prioritize love and intangible values over possessions or financial gain, because we’ve taken risks to invest in things bigger than us — if we’re stressed for those reasons, then despite the challenges, there is purpose and life-change and hearing God’s voice in that! And you make friendships forged by shared struggle (which are way stronger than friendships just forged by shared interest).

Yes! These are the things we all long for, right?

So, if Jesus is right, and part of life just means being stressed and stretched thin no matter what, why not be stretched thin with a purpose?! (Rather than as a slave to consumerism.)

Application

::Let me end by distilling this down to a few practical ways:: we might set ourselves up to live beyond consumerism and seek first the Kingdom of God.

::First…::

When faced with big decisions that involve money, ask God “What would transform me into all I’m meant to be?”

That’s an alternative to the questions consumerism teaches us to ask:

• What is most comfortable or convenient?
• What keeps up with (fill in the blank)?
• What would be most impressive?
• What wins?
• What would make me feel special or important?
• What’s fastest or easiest?

Makes me think of Yoda & Luke talking about the Force in Empire Strikes Back — Is the dark side stronger? Luke asks. No, Yoda says. Quicker, more seductive. But not stronger.

Asking, “what would transform me into all I’m meant to be?” instead of consumerism’s questions is a practical way to try to “seek first the Kingdom of God” — It focuses us on the unseen, intangible benefits of the special world (higher purpose, deep friendships, community, feeling God), so we don’t fall into the trap of believing the ordinary world is all there is.

The ordinary world is NOT all there is! The Kingdom of God has better promises for us!

::Second…::

Plan generosity

This, as opposed to leaving generosity solely up to spontaneity — plan to give money away in advance.

And this is important because being intentionally generous with the money you make is a way that anyone can leave behind consumerism and enter the Kingdom of God even if the job that earns you that money feels like the very definition of consumeristic, or feels like it has no inherent meaning. You don’t have to leave your capitalist job to live beyond consumerism. (For some of us, that might be what God is calling us to do, but it’s not necessary.)

I am inspired by a woman in our church who, well into her life as a full-time income earning adult, felt compelled learning about a time honored bit of spiritual wisdom on money management called “tithing” — which means giving away 10% of the money you make — to charity, to the poor, to friends or family in need, to your faith community or church if you’re a part of one.

10% is a lot, right? The wisdom though is: it is an active way to regularly depart from the ordinary world (every time you get a paycheck) — by making the choice not to consume with those dollars, by putting your money toward things larger than yourself, or just toward someone who is not yourself.

She felt like God wanted to grow and transform her through embracing tithing. So she took the time to re-budget her entire life, which was really hard, she says. It involved all kinds of sacrifice.

Eventually though, she found a new normal, in which she was giving away 10% of the money she makes. (To this day, she is one of this church’s most generous donors.)

::It makes me think:: of one last part of Jesus’ teaching in ::Matthew 6::

“Where your treasure is your heart is as well.” (ESV)

Follow your spending and you’ll find your true priorities — which isn’t always what I believe my priorities are, right? Our receipts can sometimes tell a more accurate story than our own minds.

I think if you follow my friend’s treasure (where she puts her money) the priorities that reveals about her leave her feeling purposeful. Now that is a wonderful departure from the economy of consumerism, right? How often do we feel purposeful about our money choices? Isn’t the usual experience for all of us regret and shame when we look back on where we put our money? Like: ugh, why did I buy that?

::Planning generosity:: is an invitation to feel more purpose and less regret and shame! That grabs me!

::Third::

Invite God and other people in when you feel stuck in consumerism

One of the essential elements in every journey of transformation story is the hero believing for a bit that they need to “do this alone” — Frodo thinks Sam can’t help — Harry thinks Hermione and Ron can’t help — and when we come to those parts of these stories, we’re like, “No! Just tell them you’re feeling doubt! Just tell them that thing you’re hiding because you’re scared — for God’s sake let them help you!”

And eventually, they finally do, and that’s when some key transformation of character is unlocked.

I think that can teach us. After I lost my AirPods, when I saw friends and family later that day, I didn’t pretend I wasn’t stewing — like “oh, you know, it’s okay, I’m fine!” — I was like: “You know, I wish I felt fine, because I feel frivolous and stupid, but I don’t feel fine, and that’s making me even more upset!”

And just sharing honestly that way, I felt some of the power of consumerism over me break. Really. I felt able to pray and say the same thing to God — “I wish I felt fine, but I don’t” — and then I felt like I got some of that wish. I was able to move on with my day, and sleep well, and not feel so consumed.

So let others in and let God in. The feeling that you should hide or pretend or “go it alone” when you’re more trapped by consumerism than you want to be is a trial to overcome, it’s not a reflection of your character! It’s just part of your initiation by virtue of being American.

Pray

So trying things like these will require risk of you, sacrifice of you, they will feel out of the ordinary — because they are. They are a departure from our ordinary world of consumerism, they are trusting in spiritual wisdom, in the unseen God to bring you the satisfaction and contentment and purpose and joy that we so instinctively turn to consumption for.

To me, like Bilbo, the adventure of that really feels worth it. And if that’s feeling true for you too, I’d love to pray for you.

::[Invite to prayer]::