Cultural Detox by Vanessa Reyner
Last summer, I read the article,
“The Misunderstood Reason Millions of Americans Stopped Going to Church” in The Atlantic. In so many words, Reporter Jake Meador was aiming to articulate why less and less people are getting dressed, getting in the car, and making it to that holy hour. While we can all speculate what the spectrum of causes for The Great Dechurching are, Meador claims the one big cause is “just how American life works in the 21st century.”
Said in another way, life is busy, calendars are packed, and the pressures are high. So when it comes to an open Sunday morning, we’re looking to take advantage of the good parts of life that we’re missing out on during the other six days. We meet friends for brunch, head to the beach, or enjoy a slow pancake breakfast with our family. Some of us are even tempted to catch up on chores and work from last week while we begin planning for the next…while we have the time.
As Meador points out, our lives are like a rubber band pulled so tight it’s about to snap. I’ll add that the “snapping” can look a whole like exhaustion, disillusionment, and burnout.
The point is in the 21st century, there is no more margin in our days. So we’re tempted to maximize every moment we have. When we see an open hour, we ring all the goodness out of it we can. But as a culture, we’ve become confused about what a “good life” really looks like. And as a follower of Jesus, I trust the creator of life, God himself, to define the good life for me.
In Cultural Detox: Clearing the Chaos to Hear God’s Voice, I wrote about what it looks like to detox from this way of hurry-sick life after living that way for a decade. I walk the reader through the common cultural currents most of us are getting swept up in like the non-stop pressure to accomplish and accumulate. Then at the end of each chapter I offer a practice to reflect, remove, and replenish. We do this by omitting one part of our lives that is leaving us exhausted and replenishing with a way of life modeled by Jesus.
What I loved about writing this book was getting the chance to reflect on all the work God had done in my life through my 30s. When I was walking knee-deep into the currents of culture, God opened my eyes to show me a better way. I write about these personal experiences with one goal (ok, maybe two) in mind. Speak of God’s goodness and help others do the same by first seeing God at work in their lives. We first do this clearing out most of culture’s chaos in our lives.
To learn more or to contact Vanessa:
vanessareyner.com
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