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June 6, 2008

Jesus and Fried Chicken

by by Halee Gray Scott

There was a time when I believed the Great American Idea that your autobiography is your own personal story. Now, after years of exposure to a rich variety of people, customs, and traditions, I realize that our own personal stories are inextricably linked to the stories of our fathers, our mothers, and the people of our culture.

For over a hundred years, most of the members of my family were cotton farmers, people of the earth who had left the luxuries of Western Europe to try their hand in a new land. They had enough courage to traverse the Atlantic and half of the continental United States territory in search of a better life. They had enough grit and determination to prevail through both the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl of Oklahoma. They were a pragmatic, hard-working lot of people who gave little thought to their relationship with God. Jesus was reserved for Sundays - right along with fried chicken, sweet corn on the cob, and creamy mashed potatoes smothered with thick gravy. There was no real relationship with God, only a religion that had little to do with daily life on the cotton farm.

My family's story is not unique among the families that have populated the southern regions of the United States for the last two centuries. Even today, many portions of the South still suffer from the Jesus-and-fried-chicken faith. For many Southerners, being a Christian means that you go to church on Sundays and sometimes pray before meals. Christianity did not involve a life-transformation or a close, growing, intimate relationship with God. This is the family and the culture in which I was born and raised, and my spiritual journey is the sun-dappled story of how a very real, omnipresent God broke through these false ideas and brought healing to the damage they had caused.

I don't believe that Jesus-and-fried-chicken faith, that cultural Christianity, is unique to the South. I believe that anytime we get comfortable in our journey with God, when "Jesus AND money, ministry, work" becomes part of our conversation in our families and in our churches, when we focus on numerical growth rather than spiritual growth, when we become desensitized to the central message and calling of Jesus, when we experience a fragmentation in the church over issues of gender, worship, service, and textual interpretation, our faith is at risk of being reduced to a Jesus-and-fried-chicken faith. With Jesus, there is no "and." There is only Jesus, the dusty-footed itinerant preacher who ushered in a revolution in the way we understand and relate to God.

I still struggle with all of the "ands" in my life and in my leadership roles. They often spring up in the most unexpected places, like weeds pushing up through the cracks in a concrete sidewalk. I forget about faith when I'm trying to piece together a life that is composed of a whole host of complex, competing roles, such as wife, future mother, writer, professor, and student. I forget about providence when I worry about budgets and finances. I forget about holiness when I focus too long on the various ministry tasks that I deal with on a daily basis.

I don't want a Jesus-and-fried-chicken faith. I want Jesus. And I don't think I'm alone. As Christian women leaders, we have to be willing to look long and hard at all of the "ands" that have made their way into our lives and our ministries. What are the other "ands" that impede our progress as women leaders? How can we, as leaders, begin to eliminate them first in our own lives and then in the lives of those we lead?

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Posted by Caryn Rivadeneira on June 6, 2008 11:13 AM

Comments

This is so readable and intuitive, thanks Halee Scott, it's bound to make people think.

Blessings,

Irma

Posted By: Irma H. Nicola | June 6, 2008 1:09 PM

Whenever I hear the word 'gender' used within the general vicinity of 'textual interpretation,' I feel my inner Joan of Arc rising in indignation. I realize that this article is about the difference between religion and relationship, but the message became lost when your inner post-modern feminist took over and substituted relationship for cultural relevancy.

My guess is that I will be attacked as an anti-feminist, narrow-minded conservative.(yawn) If so, let it be known that you have missed the point. This is not an argument about equality or gender roles; it's about a woundedness, a deep-seated disappointment in a generation that seeks to bend God and his message of love and forgiveness into a politically correct, culture savvy phenomenon that in truth, loses it's power and wonder in the process.

Substituting tofu for chicken is even less satisfying.

Posted By: marilyn | June 6, 2008 3:16 PM

I have no idea what the last post is talking about. Sure is cute to throw around terms, I guess.

Just bravo, Halee. Here's to a real faith that isn't just for Sundays.

And thanks for red car conversations...

Posted By: SJ M | June 9, 2008 9:05 PM

Did you read the entire article, or just the parts you could understand? If you frequent this website, you should have a pretty good idea of the current brand of politically correct theology that weaves it's way into nearly every article presented here---or maybe you have no idea what anyone else is talking about either.

Apparently ignorance is bliss, and serious questions are just 'cute.'

Posted By: marilyn | June 10, 2008 1:08 AM

maybe I missed the "serious question." Where is the question? I only see a rant fueled by pressupositions. You're proving Halee's arguement...you're not reading her article...you're reacting to her article based on your own pressupositions (which is the point of the article).

Posted By: Paula | June 10, 2008 1:32 PM

Marilyn,

I appreciate your comments and your reference to Joan of Arc (I too, am a fan of hers and her brave heart!). I'm curious, though, as to how you came to the conclusion that I was a "postmodern feminist" pushing a politically correct agenda.

If by "postmodern" you mean "one who rejects the existence of objective truth" and by "feminist" you mean "one who denies that there are important differences between the sexes" then I assure you, I am neither a "postmodern" nor a "feminist" and that was not at all the subject or aim of this post.

The point of the post was this: that in the Christian church we have elevated certain issues to the point that they 1.) distract or inhibit us from a meaningful relationship with God and 2.) cause disunity in the church itself. Both of these consequences are serious departures from what God intends for us as believers.

First, as believers, God calls us towards an undivided life of freedom and holiness, unencumbered by worries regarding money, power, and status. Ultimately, what matters most is Jesus and his message of reconciliation and redemption. Second, if you look to John 17, which was Jesus' prayer for the Church, you find repeated requests that the Church be "one" (vs. 21, 22) and that the Church be perfected in unity (vs. 23). But the Church today is seriously fragmented because we have allowed certain issues (gender, the kinds of services we should be having in the local church, i.e. seeker-service versus traditional versus emerging, the nature of worship, and textual interpretation of various kinds, including those with epistemological, ontological and eschatological ramifications) to cloud our understanding that we are called to unity and called to love one another. In other words, we're all on the same team, fighting a common enemy, and that enemy is not supposed to be each other.

The purpose of this site is to "equip, encourage, challenge, and unite women who exercise leadership gifts in church and parachurch ministry, in business, and at home." The purpose of this post was to encourage women leaders to think about all the "and's" that impede their progress and growth as children of God and as leaders. I shared my "and's" ... what are yours?

Thanks again for your feedback!

Posted By: Halee | June 10, 2008 1:56 PM

This is very well-written. The concept is something that people don't tend to think about, but should be discussing at great length.

As for Marilyn's comment, what???? I am an anti-feminist, an anti-post-modernist, and a conservative and I have no idea what you are talking about. Your comment is completely unrelated to the blog. Halee made no mention of feminism or post-modernism. You need to re-read this blog and understand that just because it says "cultural Christianity" and "women" does not make it liberal, post-modern, or feminist.

And don't take out your aggression against previous posts on this innocent post.

Posted By: Brad | June 10, 2008 3:05 PM

Thanks Halee, for explaining yourself. I have a better understanding of what you believe, and I offer my apologies for projecting my 'presuppositions' without appropriate and gracious questions.

I am no longer involved in church leadership and will cop to an openly critical attitude toward women's ministry in particular, pastoral ministry in general. There are only so many times one can survive being chewed up, spit out and left for dead and remain spiritually and emotionally intact. I freely admit to a brokenness that runs soul-deep.

My criticisms here are based on my own experiences in the 'traditional' church format and in my 'missional' church exploration. I have found both to be exactly what they accuse the other of being; judgmental, formulaic, and superficial. The concerns I have toward the emerging church cause me greater concern because I have seen firsthand what a 'bending' of the gospel looks like played out in real life; the consequences are not pretty.
'Cultural relevancy' and post-modern philosophy were common conversation topics among my emergent friends and although there was never complete agreement as to what that entailed, it usually came with copious amounts of alcohol and inappropriate behavior.

I often feel that I am caught between two opposing, unrealistic applications of Grace and there is no place I belong, no place to go to be fed or healed. The idea of Unity seems like an impossible pipe dream. So, I guess I am here because I feel a need to challenge what I see as harmful, and perhaps, underneath the armour, to see a glimmer of hope and encouragement.

Posted By: marilyn | June 10, 2008 4:15 PM

Brad. Why don't you just call me a brainless twit? (I'm used to abuse--I went to church for 30+ years.)
I have already apologized to Halee and admitted I took her words out of context, is there something more required of me?

Posted By: marilyn | June 10, 2008 7:11 PM

So, apparently that nice little question Halee asked me was just for show, and being the brainless twit that I am, I actually answered it.

After pondering my life's course lately, and with a little help from 'Brad' here, I've found it relatively painless to slide from Christian to agnostic without even really noticing any side effects.

Posted By: marilyn | June 12, 2008 8:39 PM

So, is anybody going to follow up on Marilyn's candid admissions, or are you just going to reinforce all of her reasons for thinking Christians are jerks.

And Brad, for the record, I understood exactly what she was talking about. By the way, do you enjoy kicking people when they're down or do you just confine yourself to fragile Christian women?

Posted By: justus | June 12, 2008 11:59 PM

Alright, everyone take a deep breath and relax, please. Sounds like we have folks taking sides and getting personal. Can we please just stick to the subject of the post?

Posted By: Darcyjo | June 13, 2008 3:42 PM

Great article Halee! Thanks for thought-provoking words. My first decade in pastoral ministry began as a single young woman, fresh out of college, and very independent. My life was full of "and's". I began my second decade in pastoral ministry a few years ago as a new wife, more educated, and as a quadriplegic (car accident) that has left me very dependent. Most of my old "and's" don't even exist anymore. Certainly there are new "and's" that work their way into my life. But mostly I am just grateful to Jesus every day for a new day to live and breathe. I am just a vessel. Without Jesus I am nothing. And every day I ask for more Jesus in my life. More, Lord!

Thanks again, Halee, for the reminder to have Jesus.

Posted By: kari | June 15, 2008 10:22 PM

I'm gratefully reading all of the comments,reactions, etc. Personally, I can relate to every issues raised. Genderism doesn't matter to God not even race nor social, economic nor spiritual status. It is all about our relationship with God. It's all about the matters of our hearts as we take on the role as women leaders regardless of our past. Thank you so much Halee for being available in God's service to impact my life especially during these initial stage of the livelihood ministry that I started 2 months ago back in my home country. Your article transcends all cultures being a child of God. Please continue to inspire us with your truthful and Biblical not only christian principles in the ministry.

Blessings!
Blesilda

Posted By: Blesilda | June 24, 2008 9:48 AM

Marilyn, I'm sorry for your terrible experiences of church. I'm also sad to hear your faith has slipped. I pray that God heals you and reveals His truth to you, and finds you the church where you belong. Obviously healing will not happen overnight, but it is a gradual process. Nothing is impossible for God. I suggest you find some true Christians to be friends with who can help you on your journey. Remember Jesus promised He will not lose one of those souls the Father has given Him.
God bless xxx

Posted By: Eve | August 12, 2008 3:30 PM

JESUS IS LORD

Posted By: jumoke | August 22, 2008 3:58 PM

LOVE U LORD

Posted By: jumoke | August 22, 2008 4:00 PM

Halee,
I saw your dad today and he told me to "look you up" how wonderful the path you have taken. I would love to see you. I will check for more articles.
love
Anneice

Posted By: anneice | August 28, 2008 1:32 PM

Ah, I finally found the article I've heard so much about. Better late than never. Excellently written and defended, Halee. This is definitely something that my generation -- raised in post-modernism, pushed towards extreme individuality, and still somehow under the misguided belief that we can have everything we want without sacrificing our relationship with God -- needs to keep in mind.

Posted By: Amy | December 31, 2008 5:13 PM

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