In large ways and small, the individualist mindset has taken root in our churches. The large ways are obvious from Barna's research. Christians now seem to believe that their autonomy is more important than the needs of the body. This has led to a church in which divorce is relatively normal, sexual sin no longer comes with any shame and tithing is low.

Sider writes, and I agree, that this lack of consistency between our message and our lives hurts the witness and influence Christians have on the culture around them. The gay marriage debate is a good example of this. Social conservatives have made this debate about 'protecting marrage' and the family. There's nothing wrong with this particular approach, but the rhetoric about protecting families tends to ring hollow when society sees Christians getting divorced as often as those who do not hold to a particular faith.

So why write about this? Well, for one, I find it fascinating. Two, I think the failure of Christians to live up to the standards God has set will lead eventually to a loss of political, social and most importantly, evangelical efficacy.

Why should someone want to listen to or join a church where the word is spoken, but not lived?

In his bestseller "The Purpose Driven LIfe," Pastor Rick Warren writes "It's not about you." His book was, I believe, a response to the growing belief in the church that the needs of the self take precedence over the needs of the body. This post is just the beginning of a thought process that I hope leads to longer posts on individualism and how to combat it in our lives and in the lives of our churches.