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03/30/2004 Entry: "Good business is where you find it"

I was relieved to learn that Christian collectibles are gaining in value. Maybe I could get rid of some old tat via eBay. But it turns out I'm a bit too far down-market to really "cash in" - it seems that it is high quality rosaries and such that are bringing in the cash. Business is booming for purveyors of bejewelled aids to prayer. One business is described as offering "Catholics with expendable income, ... alternatives to the mass of run-of-the-mill rosaries". Methodists don't as a rule pray the Rosary, so maybe I don't know what I'm talking about - but does it really enhance your life of prayer having a rosary made of 14 ct gold instead of something more (coughs) "affordable"?

"It's part of identifying with Jesus, feeling close to God," said M., who sells rosaries made from vintage beads on Miraculousbeads.com "It has spiritual value."

I'll buy that for a dollar.

Posted by Jeff @ 03/30/2004 10:38 PM GMT

Maybe I'm being a bit curmudgeonly - I'm just suspicious the whole Christian merchandising thing.
And, for what it's worth I do prefer a cheap edition of the Bible to an expensive leather-bound one.
I take your point about art entirely but that isn't exactly the same thing as the consumerism of today's Christianity in the west is it?

Posted by Richard @ 03/30/2004 11:10 PM GMT

You are a bit of a curmudgeon, Richard. I do agree that a walk into a well-stocked Christian bookstore can give one a squarmy feeling---some of the wares seem overly given to the 'market', and one wonders who exactly is profiting from some of the sales...and yet much of what is sold appears to be appropriate, well fashioned, and actually utilitarian to the wandering believer.
As a former Catholic, I can tell you that the old carved glass Rosary beads of my grandmother's were much less a task to pray through than the cheap plastic ones I got from sister Terasine.

And my semi-expensive everyday Bible works to my satisfaction, its binding suffering well with the abuse attendant upon my dragging it about...

Just a thought or two...

Peace, Rick

Posted by Rick O'Donnell @ 03/31/2004 03:29 AM GMT

What's wrong with wearing shorts and t-shirt to church??? Not that I'm bracketing myself in as a student or anything......

And while continuing along this line (after all, in for a penny…..) I’ve got a friend who owns a plastic Rosary. And it glows in the dark!!! Does this make it worth any less than one made of gold?? I think not….. In fact, I think it’s cooler!! (is that a word I’m allowed to use??)

As for the Left Behind series…….. it’s finishing is it??

Posted by Malc @ 03/31/2004 12:45 PM GMT

It'd be quite something to think of a sequel to the Second Coming!

Posted by Richard @ 03/31/2004 01:10 PM GMT

Shouldn't Christians with expendable income have better things to spend it on than a nice rosary? More to the point, should Christians have expendable income? Ok, I can't criticise too much here, i'm as guilty as everyone else when it comes to the odd bout of conspicuous consumption, but when it gets to the point that we're producing stuff in God's name for the simple purpose of giving those who have too much money on their hands something nice to hold when they pray, can't we, as Richard states, be a little sceptical?

OK, the wealth of Western art throughout history can be seen to glorify God (and we can take as a biblical example the woman who prepares Jesus for burial with that rather nice jar of oil), but there was a certain commitment and desire to truly magnify his name amongst the people that doesn't quite come through when you're sat in front of a computer with your credit card.

To bring some pop culture into it (and I know Richard will appreciate this one), I like to think of the final scene in 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' - 'This is the cup of a carpenter'; there's a certain dignity in humility which I think glorifies God much more than a dead piece of 14ct gold.

Posted by Mike @ 03/31/2004 01:12 PM GMT

Mike - wasn't that "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" Mike? But I agree with the sentiment.

I had the opportunity to talk to a nun about this question earlier today. She didn't think that the material that the rosary beads are made of makes any difference to the life of prayer. Of course, that's only one additional opinion, but since she agreed with me we'll count it. ;o)

Posted by Richard @ 03/31/2004 09:30 PM GMT

Just to throw my 2 cents worth in here (and it was Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade - the same one where we learn that the family dog was named "Indiana"). We've been taking a long, hard look as a family at our consumer mentality, not just when it comes to buying religious stuff, but stuff in general. I've been a shopper since a kid - money always burned a hole in my pocket. But, I'm also thankful that I learned tithing as a teenager, so that at the very least I was returning 10% to God's work. Then I learn that Wesley, while his income went up over his lifetime, lived off the same income as early on and plowed the rest back into the Methodist Book Concern and ministry. Somehow, I'm not there yet. Then, in Time Magazine about a week ago I learned that Rick Warren of Purpose Driven Life and Church fame, has returned his salary not only for this year, but all the years of Saddleback Church and is living off 10% of the royalties of his books and giving away the other 90% to a variety of causes. While I don't agree with all the theology of his books, I certainly have to respect how lives out his faith when I learn that he's not busy trying to figure out how to spend the 90% and give God only the required 10%. Maybe it's time to write a book.

Posted by Ivan the Crank @ 03/31/2004 10:00 PM GMT

Ok, so it's The Last Crusade, but the point stands!

You know, Jesus said "Go, sell all you have and give the money to the poor, THEN follow me". He didn't say "come along, join us, and if by chance we pass an Oxfam shop you can leave your stuff there".

But damn is that difficult, particularly in our society/ies where it is quite normal to have lots of unnecessary stuff. How many of us have a new DVD player?

But where is the line drawn? Do we reduce ourselves to poverty and then consider the lilies of the field? If so, how do we define poverty; wow, there's a big one. And I won't go into it.

I think there was a point to this post...

Posted by Mike @ 04/01/2004 12:43 PM GMT

Jesus told the rich young man to sell all he had and to follow Him, knowing that his possessions were possessing him. He told the old man, Nicodemus, he must be born again since his ingrained religiosity was blocking him from a relationship with God. In the list of spiritual gifts (I Corinthians, I think), one is listed as the ability to make money and the condition is to be generous. My point is two-fold: Christ challenges us where we are most resistant and not necessarily to all go into poverty to follow Him. But, if not, then to be generous with whatever gifts God has placed in our keeping.

Posted by Ivan the Crank @ 04/01/2004 10:17 PM GMT