Reading this felt like sitting through a sermon that Jesus himself might’ve preached, had he been less into parables and more into flipping tables. The prosperity gospel always struck me as a celestial Ponzi scheme—keep feeding the plate, and maybe one day God will bless you with that Disney trip… or at least a slightly less depressing struggle to survive.
But this hits deeper because it exposes the brutal irony: churches that once promised to care for the widow, the orphan, and the poor are now laser-focused on stage lighting, curated playlists, and the aesthetics of holiness while their neighbors starve. We've replaced loaves and fishes with lattes and fog machines.
The idea that wealth is a divine reward and poverty is a spiritual failing isn't just bad theology—it's spiritual malpractice. Jesus wasn’t roaming around Galilee with designer robes and VIP seating; he was out in the dirt with the broken and the forgotten. And if he walked into most churches today, he'd be less interested in joining the worship band and more interested in asking why the sanctuary feels more like a stockholder meeting than a house of hope.
This article rips the mask off that system. It reminds us that community isn’t about prosperity sermons and transactional faith; it’s about communal care, shared struggle, and a kingdom where the poor aren’t shamed but blessed. Jesus wasn’t preaching capitalism. He was preaching compassion. And if that makes people uncomfortable, maybe it should.
i am just always confused when i hear “the church”. the evangelical church raises money differently than a catholic priest in germany or one in south america, or a protestant pastor in germany or south america. or the russian-orthodox church probably. i would love to read your insights on how priests secure their income for different churches in different countries! follow the money!
As always, you spread such great light on how we should be living
Nice Sermon Father Monk!
Reading this felt like sitting through a sermon that Jesus himself might’ve preached, had he been less into parables and more into flipping tables. The prosperity gospel always struck me as a celestial Ponzi scheme—keep feeding the plate, and maybe one day God will bless you with that Disney trip… or at least a slightly less depressing struggle to survive.
But this hits deeper because it exposes the brutal irony: churches that once promised to care for the widow, the orphan, and the poor are now laser-focused on stage lighting, curated playlists, and the aesthetics of holiness while their neighbors starve. We've replaced loaves and fishes with lattes and fog machines.
The idea that wealth is a divine reward and poverty is a spiritual failing isn't just bad theology—it's spiritual malpractice. Jesus wasn’t roaming around Galilee with designer robes and VIP seating; he was out in the dirt with the broken and the forgotten. And if he walked into most churches today, he'd be less interested in joining the worship band and more interested in asking why the sanctuary feels more like a stockholder meeting than a house of hope.
This article rips the mask off that system. It reminds us that community isn’t about prosperity sermons and transactional faith; it’s about communal care, shared struggle, and a kingdom where the poor aren’t shamed but blessed. Jesus wasn’t preaching capitalism. He was preaching compassion. And if that makes people uncomfortable, maybe it should.
Wonderful!
Spot on!!!
i am just always confused when i hear “the church”. the evangelical church raises money differently than a catholic priest in germany or one in south america, or a protestant pastor in germany or south america. or the russian-orthodox church probably. i would love to read your insights on how priests secure their income for different churches in different countries! follow the money!
Thank you.