REVEAL...Seriously?

I'd heard alot about Willow's Reveal study but hadn't actually read the book until this week.  If you are unfamiliar with Reveal, it was a 3-year research study Willow conducted to try to better understand the hearts of people in relation to spiritual growth.  They hoped to see whether the church was accomplishing its mission of helping people grow.

I thought it was an unique study and think there are a lot of interesting things to consider from this research.  I commend Willow for their innovation and the heart behind it.

There was one thing about the findings that really bothered me though.  From the data collected, the researchers organized people into 4 segments (in order of increasing spiritual maturity): Exploring Christianity, Growing in Christ, Close to Christ, and Christ-Centered.  Here is how they described the last segment, those "Christ-Centered": (emphasis mine)

"These people have fully surrendered their lives to Christ, demonstrated by their dramatically higher levels of spiritual behaviors and attitudes across the board.  They 'very strongly agree' that they seek God's guidance in every area of their lives--at two times the level of any other segment."

"Attitudes: They love God more than anything. For them, prayer is constant conversation with God. They help to mentor others. Service to others is a way of life."

Christ-Centered people would say, "God is all I need in my life.  He is enough.  Everything I do is a reflection of Christ."

Quite commendable.  I hope to someday be able to say these things are true of my life.  Yet what was so disturbing to me was a graph that followed several pages later comparing spiritual behaviors across the 4 segments.  All the commentary on the graph pointed out was that these spiritual behaviors increase as people grow in spiritual maturity, but I kept staring at the values for the "Christ-Centered" segment.

Tithing: I give 10 percent.  Slightly over 50% of "Christ-Centered" people.

Serving: I serve one time per week.  Slightly over 40% of "Christ-Centered" people.

Evangelizing: I have six or more meaningful spiritual conversations per year with non-Christians.  Around 38% of "Christ-Centered" people.

Seriously?  That's where the highest bar of spiritual maturity is set?  50% tithing?  40% serving regularly?  38% engaging in spiritual conversations?  That's what it means to be "Christ-Centered?"  This is "fully surrendered?"

Hmmm...do you think God grades on a curve?

Comments

[Laurie]

Wow. That's sobering. And very scary.

[Greg Grimwood]

Wow, that's embarrassing. I hope that Christians in other countries don't read that book. It's downright shameful for us Western believers. I pray God doesn't remove his lampstand from among us.