“If your small group or church or group of friends are aiding and abetting your apathy–or you their’s– then you probably need to work hard at changing the culture of these relationships and contexts to be more reflective of biblical Christianity.”

If you are connected in any way to mainline (particularly American) evangelicalism then you have probably said or heard the following said countless times in the last two years:

“I need to get back in the Word.”

“My prayer life has been kinda dry lately.”

Often times these “confessions” come in the midst of small groups or in response to some eager, well-meaning brother or sister. How do we respond?

Most often it is with the super-spiritual, muppet-faced grimacing sigh: “Hmm. Hmm. I will pray for you that God would help you get back in the Word.”

Is this helpful?

Let’s just put this response on other things that God says not to do or to do.

In the context of a small group,

Joe discloses, “I’ve had a hard time staying sober lately”

Response: “Hmmm. I will pray for you that God would help keep you sober.”

Sally says, “I haven’t been paying for my cosmetics lately. I’ve been struggling with theft.”

Response: “Hmmm. I will pray for you that God would help you to pay for your stuff.”

Oscar says, “I’ve been smoking a lot of meth lately.”

Response: “Hmmm. I will pray for you that God would help you to not be a junkie.”

This is unacceptable and we all know it. We would be quite right to urgently and lovingly admonish our drunk, thieving, drug-using brothers and sisters. However, with spiritual disciplines we somehow just accept that we will be unfaithful. Somehow, as an evangelical culture, we have become accustomed to apathy. Mediocrity is the new normal.

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