Well said, Chad. For the last 10 years, my wife and I have been involved in the process of simplifying our lives and it has been tremendously freeing. A pastor's spirituality is often judged by the size of his library and I was guilty as charged. Sometimes simplifying does mean less, but a change in direction. Most of my library is now on my computer. I've given away thousands of books that I was keeping only because they looked good on my shelf and impressed people and, who knows, I might need them someday. I now buy a book, read it, and then give it away. We have used this philosophy to analyze every area of our lives, from clothing to food to lifestyle choices. And, I repeat, the result is freedom. We would rather have fewer things of better quality and invest our money and time in ways more productive for God's kingdom.

Many of us forgot the first charge: to be good stewards of the earth. Second, Christ spoke more about money than anything else.

Sure, it's nice to have nice things. But I learned long ago that I don't need to have a 64'' TV. I don't need to have an SUV to cart around 2 kids when a small sedan will do the same. And recycling shouldn't be just the "trendy" thing to do. (Why don't churches have recycling bins, and why do they use styrofoam cups, anyway?) There are others who need more than I do, and I'm here to serve others, not just put more stuff in my belly and barns.

I'm an ecologist, not an environmentalist, which means I respect the environment, use what I buy, refuse excess and one-time-use products and disposables, and don't participate in burning down developments which endangers human lives just because rare breeds of field mice might be evicted.

The question comes down to this: Who --or what-- do you and your church serve?

Chad, very thought provoking article. My wife and I have had several conversations about trying to simplify our lives after she heard Randy Frazee speak at a conference.

The issue that I'm trying to wrap my brain around is that a lot of the stuff that we have was purchased to help save time. We have 3 kids under the age of 7. If we got rid of our dish washer and clothes drier I don't know that we would ever finish the house work and get out to talk with our neighbors.

We could have bought a less expensive house if we had moved to a more rural area, but that would have added a half hour each way to our drives to church and work.

We could have bought a sedan that gets better milage than our SUV but that would have made trips difficult for our family of 5. It would have made carpooling, which saves time and builds relationships, impossible.

I suppose we could ditch the disposable diapers and opt for cloth... yuck!

So, while the idea of simplifying is very appealing in many cases it seems like the old "time is money" adage applies. If you have any practical wisdom concerning that, I'd love to hear more.

I appreciate your comments Chad. I also appreciate your encouragement to start the simplification process not from the pulpit, but in our own homes.

Assuming we have begun to take those steps I wonder what the next step for leaders within the local church is. It's one thing to be benevolently known as the tree-hugging and granola-eating pastor, it seems to be another to begin inviting a community into this type of evaluation and decision making.

Thoughts?

We have been "faith missionaries" for the past 17 years & when pastoring it was a pretty minimalist lifestyle (because of economics, not just ideology!) for 12+ years before. In the last 2 years we have begun a transition back to our home culture (USA).

Being a product of the "Jesus Movement" of the early 70's, the simplicity of belief and discipleship then, I was struck by how different life in the US has become. We were "on the field" from 90' to 2005.

My question in reflection about all this is... How did we (the church) get so far away from the most basic call of discipleship, "If anyone come after me, let him deny himSELF, take up his cross and follow Me."?!

For me, the "battle" isn't over "green" or "freegan", but the same battle as always... SELF. It seems to me that in the US, we are definitely losing that battle... for now. I'm in the Philippines for a couple months and enjoying the simple lifestyle we've known for many years. The difficulty is in living the same in my home culture and not being "too weird" to fit in... how backwards is that?!

What a great article. I would add giving up television and keeping trips to the movies to a minimum. We haven't just cluttered our physical world with too many things, but we have cluttered our minds with junk from the world. Imagine what the kingdom would look like if more Christians spent their leisure time reading the Bible. Maybe we would become more Christ-like. Hmm... maybe I'll take my own advice.

Hallo! I'm new to this, but here goes. Thank you for this confirmation to something we didn't even know had a name. As we are planning on immigrating, we decided to live with less for pratical reasons. And within 6 months we've learnt to live with only the necessities in the house. As I have been giving away stuff I thought I could never live without, my invisible burden started to lift. The same happened in my spiritual life - as I suddenly had more 'free' time to spend with God, He started peeling away all the rubble in me. It all comes down to the 'back-to-basics' principle - something conforms to God's Word or it doesn't. If it doesn't, it should be a 'no-no'. Life is actually too short to live with 'gimmigs' of any kind. Thank you for this opportunity to share my story. The Lord has done marvellous things for us these past 6 months - He has always done it, but somehow our eyes have opened to see more of it. Have a blessed day in Jesus Christ!

Excellent article. My kneejerk reaction is to say -- those are great ideas but they aren't realistic for my family right now. But I'm challenged to think a little deeper before I jump to a conclusion ...

I think often when we are challenged to give more, serve more, etc. -- e.g., when the issue of stewardship comes up -- our first reaction tends to be, "I'm sorry, we're already doing all we CAN."

We tend to say, "We CAN'T possibly do more, give more, serve more, etc." We justify our decision by telling ourselves (and everyone else who will listen) that we would like to do more, but we are already pushing ourselves to the limit. But is it really true? We feel stretched too thin. (But then you think of Jesus stretched out on the cross giving his very life away and maybe you rethink things ...)

Maybe it is legitimately true sometimes that we CAN'T do more; sometimes life just kicks us hard and we just CAN'T give anything more at the moment. However, I suspect more often then not, we are capable of far more than we think. We CAN do many things (in fact the Apostle Paul says that in Christ we can do ALL things), but we CHOOSE not to. Perhaps if we're honest, the contraction we often need is not CAN'T, but WON'T. In other words, maybe the real answer is, not, "We CAN'T do it," but rather, "We WON'T do that" -- i.e., we CHOOSE not to do it. It would require more sacrifice than we are willing to make at the moment. It would make life a bit less comfortable and convenient for our family."

So I guess with the issues you raise it comes down to answering a question of whether or not the benefits that would result from simplifying our lives are worth putting forth some additional effort beyond what we do now. If it is, then we have to CHOOSE to take some definite actions to put our words into action. As with many things in life, it's likely we CAN do more if we CHOOSE to, but only WE can make that choice.

Wonderful! I have started developing a retreat which I hope to turn into a book on the subject of Happiness & Simplicity. It is great that our sisters and brothers in Christ are already living the Gospel life. I am now encouraged by their commitment to continue. Thank you for your efforts.

decent article, but to me what's missing is the admission that sometimes it can be a godly sacrifice to have more.

what?

my in-laws were more than poor most of their lives. they work at a small Christian college, which doesn't exactly pay big bucks. years of scraping by taught them how to be good stewards, and the importance of good stewardship to God. now, pushing 50, their sons are married and out of the house, their investments are decent, and life is pretty comfortable - but they have remained good stewards. when they got satellite TV, it was for the korean students on campus to come over and watch soccer, which was something culturally very important to them and a good way for my folks to bond with the students. recently, due to God's prodding for about a year, they have further tightened their budget, taken out a second mortgage, and built and extension on their home so that they can properly host their house church of more than 60 adults and children. they were nervous about going into so much debt at their age, but listened to God's voice and the extension has truly blessed the community! God wanted them to have MORE - but not for them, for his work.

so, to be clear, i am not disagreeing with the writer of the article. i just wanted to point out that 'more' isn't always wrong.

I found your article both thought provoking and challenging. I like the idea of a simple life, and I know the Amish of Pennsylvania and their simple life is not so simple. What struck me the most though was the idea of your home as an extension of the kingdom.
That is indeed a powerful idea. What does it mean not to engage neighbors as future church members but rather to envision your home as an extension of the kingdom. What does it look like to clear up the clutter of our lives so that we actually have tome for our neighbors. This places a more intent on the home and family, it becomes a community issue rather than just my personal walk. That makes a lot of sense to me.

Good insights into making life simpler. Good message. But I could do without the Al Gore-esque hyperbole:

"...and the planet is buckling beneath the collateral damage of growth."

If the planet is buckling Sir, we have bigger fish to fry. Shall we colonize the moon then? Or is it buckling beneath the stress of the Apollo missions? Pardon me, but I do believe your slip is showing.

Chad,
Thanks for the article. I always find it interesting to see what is on your mind. As an aging baby boomer (age 54) I find that some of the things that I would have "simplified" earlier in life, I no longer consider. Not because I don't want to, but some things I am no longer able to do. Like Mickey Mantle said, if I had known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself (even some good things I used to do, like running, have come back to haunt me and my knees)!
Anyway, my question for consideration relates to the issue of time and ability. How much can we give up without losing the time we are trying to save? And how much can we give up when we are no longer able to do some of the things we used to take for granted?
Thanks again for challenging me. I a looking at this based on what we can do at this point in our lives.

Great topic - great message needed. Our family of five lives in a 1500 sq. ft. house. We have no garage. We live on one income (tough for sure) and find room for generosity. And last year we got rid of the TV. Try it, I dare anyone reading this. Or at least just cancel the cable. Anyway, most Christians around us think we are crazy. They act like we are missing out on something. I guess I know a secret that they don't.

As for pastors and their churches who are into big... most will not be willing to change - too much power wrapped up in that position and the influence, it's addictive. Small means giving power away... it hurts, it costs personally. It will never be the "in" trend.

FROM THE AUTHOR...
Thanks for the many thoughtful comments to the article. Here are some of my additional thoughts and responses...

-Paul, as far as "time is money," I think that is often the case and sometimes is not the case. What's been really challenging for me is to peel back my layers of assumptions about what "convenience" really is and what the price is. When I find the need to squeeze a day for more time, it's sometimes the case that I need to drop some stuff from the schedule and just stop trying to put so much into a day. I repeat: it's a challenge! Man, oh man is it a challenge for me.

-David, my only thoughts on how a pastor can take practical steps in helping a congregation consider these issues are twofold. First, I really don't discount the power of the pulpit. I think a pastor's role is to shepherd the flock via the preaching ministry - especially if it's first lived out by the pastor. Second, I think a more potent approach is to bring up the topic in those pastoral conversations when counseling and coaching parishioners. I think the issues of simplicity, significance and stewardship weave into most of the stressors we face in life - so a pastor can help parishioners take a systemic view of their life and recognize how clutter and confusion lead to all sorts of unhealthy chaos.

-Melody... Well said! I think I'll take your advice and turn off the tube, grab a book and invite God into the freed-up space.

Speaking of books...

-Jim... I reckon you've somehow listened in on the conversations between me and my wife over the past month. She has accurately pointed out for me that my cases and shelves of books is not good for my soul. And you NAIL what the real issue is for me: pride. I'll be visiting the local library to make a donation this weekend. Thanks for sharing the insight.

Much of what Chad offers is good--for Chad. We need to be somewhat careful in every "lifestyle" decision we make. The other edge of this double edge sword is the pride that crops up from those that are doing it "better." And when is enough? A 32" TV (but you are watching the same shows?) No soccer for your kids (but they are bored, not interacting with kids outside their church?) If I want to get to know my neighbors I have our kids play soccer, lacrosse and basketball with them--now we have something to talk about. Or I watch some (only some) of the shows they watch and then we have a starting point.

Finally, there isn't only the "culture" of big out there--certainly it does bow down to the idols of materialism and importance through accumulating and activity. But certainly growing now is the culture of "less." In its most hardcore form it places personhood on the earth and anthropomorphizes animals. Let's be critical in our thinking about the pluses and minuses about both and most importantly let's be "Christianly" in our thinking about both.

Dana's comments are right on. Sometimes it's not less, it's what's best. Stewardship is "what is the best investment of my resources for the sake of the kingdom?" Will that attitude not also cover death to self? Sometimes it will mean sacrifice; sometimes, like Dana's parents, it means enlargement for the purpose of the Kingdom.

FROM THE AUTHOR #2...

Another round of insightful and interesting comments that I thought I'd respond to...

- Dana and Dave... best does beat less, of course. I can just imagine "less" becoming the new "more" and everybody striving to have unhealthful small amounts of relationships and possessions and the like. Then we'd all be off the other end of the proverbial spectrum. Discernment seems to be the key.

- Kerry... not sure exactly what to make of your comment, but I think you may be inferring that I hold some left-leaning ("Al Gore") position that I let slip into the article. Maybe not, maybe you just meant my language was overblown. I'll accept the indictment of my language and work to improve. I'll strongly refute any notion that I share any Gore-ish perspective. This may be a topic for another article, but I have sincere doubts about Gore's opinions about global warming. I'll let you read the red between those lines. :)

- Kevin... I think your terminology about the home being an extension of the kingdom is far clearer and more precise than I put it. And really, you have nailed what, for me, is the heart of this issue. Thanks for saying what you said and saying it so well.

- Mike Thompson... I hope to see you at SPE in November with Dallas Willard in Hickory. Will you be there??

I really liked this article. This is where God is challenging me right now. We have begun to see ways in which we can simplify and make room for the life that Christ lives through us in our family.

I agree with everyone saying that just because you live with less doesn't automatically mean that you are following Christ. It's about who owns your heart, Christ or anything else. The one thing that I do notice though is how Jesus tells people multiple times to sell what they've got and give it to the poor. Where does that leave us?

As we continue to talk through this apparently hot button issue (why do we get so heated about this?) we have to continue to have a spirit of humility. I think the author did a good joob of raising awareness of what he and his family are doing in response to a change that God has called them to make. It gets really dangerous when you start accusing him of things that aren't necessarily true or are simply childish ("your slip is showing" implying that because he's chosen to obey Christ in this area of his life, he is less of a man, seriously). God's word does talk about creation groaning and waiting for redemption. That fact is tough to debate. And I think we need to be careful of taking such strong sides as if our side is the only way or as if Al Gore is not capable of making some really good points (maybe the truth is just a little too inconvenient for us and that's why we don't like it).

Anyway, I really enjoy the discussion over the topic. I just bring these points for further discussion and healthy banter.

Keep working out your salvation with fear and trembling...

As a child in the '50s, I knew older Christians who defined "worldliness" in terms of drinking alcohol, wearing fashionable clothes and (for women) wearing make-up. This short-sighted view contributed to making Christianity seem bleakly judgmental.

Chad, your article is, in summary, about a realistic rejection of worldliness. We all let the world squeeze us into its mould (Rom 12:3), and it is vital for Christians to resist this pressure.

An amazed journalist, wrote some years ago about a famous Australian artist, Pro Hart, a Pentecostal Christian. She remarked on his small environmental footprint, despite his lack of interest in environmental concerns. She came to understand that his lifestyle was a consequence of his aim to live in accordance with his faith, even if it was unfashionable. It was a great tribute, and an endorsement by a secular observer of what Christianity can do if someone truly puts it into practice, even without seeing how one person's life fits into the bigger picture.

You say that: "Landfills are full, the air is thick, and we cannot drink from many of our streams." Nope. Nope. Nope.

Landfills are not full, indeed in many places wholesale landfill fees are falling because of oversupply. Air quality, in the America that you live in has been getting dramatically better, emissions falling 30% between 1995 and 2005. As to not being able to drink from streams, the biggest new threat from streams is coliform bacteria from wildlife which have exploded with the revival of their habitat.

Any honest evaluation of the American environment must acknowledge dramatic improvement. While your overall thesis is laudable, we simplify not because of the environmental impact, but because we want to be more like Christ.

Quick question: If I could offer you the material abundance of a millionaire without any environmental impact, would that make it right? Tying behavior done for Christ to dubious claims about the environment damages your credibility and your witness.

Hi Chad,
I like what you have to say but I have a question. How do some of us who are living the simple life try to stay content when we watch our pastors and other staff of the church keep getting bigger and better toys? I try not to let the envy thing get a hold of me but sometimes it's hard. We drive around old vehicles. We live in a mobile home and have for 15 years. I bring in a supplemental income just to make ends meet. All of this while we watch our pastors buy $300,000 houses and drive around new SUV'S.
I don't like my focus to be on that and that when I put money in the offering plate it should be given joyfully...but to be honest knowing that some of that goes to pay for those houses while I live in a "trailer" kind of makes me a little less than joyful when I tithe and lately I've been putting missions on the envelope.

I think Bill should find another church, if that is what the clergy are up to.