how are you doing...no, really?

From Christopher Jackson in Touchstone (hat tip: Life Under the Blue Sky)...

Sadly, many American churches unwittingly encourage their members to pretend to have it all together and be perfectly content. Even churches that vocally reject the prosperity gospel implicitly confirm that heresy. A kind of health-and-wealth theology has infected many churches, promulgated not so much by preaching or catechism as by the manipulative ‘How-are-you’s,’ backslapping, and vigorous handshaking before and after services.

One problems is the difficulty in determining the extent of this-- by its nature.

The best available barometers are the extent to which transparency happens and the extent to which true relationship and community are practiced.

A certain form of this is more easily available in smaller churches, but they can have their own challenges here as well. In larger churches, it's easier to be anonymous, but there are also fine opportunities for community as well.