Beyth Hogue Greenetz


Producers, Consumers and Communers

February 1st, 2012

Cross-posted on New Wine.

By Paul Louis Metzger

There is a great deal of talk about production and consumption in American society today. Such talk is found inside the American church as well. In fact, a noted pastor has called on men to be real men by moving from being consumers to being producers. Whether we are talking about men or women, we need to move beyond thinking of humans as mere producers and consumers and approach human identity and the church in communal terms. So, instead of separating people into classes such as producers and consumers, we must encourage everyone to move toward being “communers.”

Of course, we consume even as we produce, and everyone produces and consumes in some manner. However, we must never reduce our communal identity as humans and as the church to acts of production and consumption. Why? I maintain that the Bible teaches that we are created in the image of the triune God who creates us as an overflow of holy, loving communion; God’s purpose is to create and, after the fall, to transform us so that we can share in the glory of this loving, holy communion in the divine life for all eternity (Gen. 1:26-27; Jn. 17). Creation and production are not the ultimate categories. They point beyond themselves to something even more profound—communion with God and one another.

Another reason why we must speak in more communal terms rather than reductionistic terms involving mere production and consumption is that the latter categorization scheme leads to a bifurcation of humanity. When we move from communer categories to producer and consumer divisions we destroy the possibility of experiencing profound relationality. Relationality always involves reciprocity and mutuality. It is never unidirectional.

I will offer three examples of how this bifurcation affects us. If, for example, we define noble people as those who produce, it leads to a devaluing of those who consume their products. Related to this point, don’t producers need consumers to consume what they produce? Does that not entail the need for fostering at least two classes of people? The producers—the elect or naturally selected by their own survival instincts—will “enslave” or at least corral others to be consumers so that they can make their own election or natural selection sure. In the church culture today, there is at times a tendency to identify entrepreneurial creativity with a greater sense of personal worth and identity. Many Evangelicals rightly challenge consumerist tendencies and greed, but our production proclivities can still enforce an “us” and “them” mindset: those who produce the best justice packages for those in need of food and other necessities should not be seen as having the most worth; as important as these justice entrepreneurs are, we all have worth as we share life and resources with one another. We all have something to offer when we view matters relationally. Those who have the least “stuff” often have the most to teach us relationally, for they have learned the secret of the meaning to life: the fullness of life is experienced not in the abundance of possessions, but in the abundance of communal presence.

Besides noting the problem of enforcing and reinforcing two classes of people by way of productivity, we can easily move in the opposite direction by promoting a state of affairs where those who consume the most win. This problem often has economic as well as ethnic dimensions. The developed world—which generally is very white—consumes an inordinate percentage of the world’s resources, while the non-white developing world with its human and natural resources is used increasingly as the field to produce the goods for these enlightened, developed world consumers.

Beyond considering class and race issues, we must also account for matters of gender. If women stay home, that does not mean they aren’t producing. While husbands may be the breadwinners in some homes, they are not alone in cultivating family life. To many people, housewives and househusbands do not appear to contribute to the bottom line, if we think simply in production and consumption categories. But when we think communally, we find that breadwinners in families are not the only ones producing. It is much more constructive to think in terms of sharing. From the standpoint of sharing, everyone is needed—husbands, wives, and children. Everyone matters because everyone shares in communal life together.

We do not exist because we think, produce, or consume. We exist ultimately because we are loved by God. God calls us to be communers—to respond to God’s love by loving God and others in return (Mk. 12:30-31). As we move toward viewing life and people in communal terms, it will have a profound bearing on how we approach a variety of subjects. Most importantly, it will help us move from treating other people as objects, and see them as human subjects who really matter.

The John 17:23 Network – January gathering

January 3rd, 2012

There will NOT be a gathering of The John 17:23 Network on Sunday, January 8 as had been indicated in some places. In lieu of that meeting, we would like to encourage those in the network to attend this event…

On Sunday, January 22 from 2 – 3:30pm at the Hollywood Library (4040 NE Tillamook in Portland), The Conversation Project will be hosting a talk with PSU Professor Walidah Imarisha entitled “Why Aren’t There More Blacks in Oregon?” Have you ever wondered why the Black population in Oregon is so small? Oregon has a history not only of Black exclusion and discrimination, but also of a vibrant Black culture that helped sustain many communities throughout the state—a history that is not taught in schools. Portland State University adjunct professor Walidah Imarisha will lead participants through an interactive timeline of Black history in Oregon and will also discuss how history, politics, and culture have shaped—and will continue to shape—the landscape for Black Oregonians.

This event is free and open to the public.

Why Aren’t There More Black People in Oregon?

December 21st, 2011

On Sunday, January 22 from 2 – 3:30pm at the Hollywood Library (4040 NE Tillamook in Portland), The Conversation Project will be hosting a talk with PSU Professor Walidah Imarisha entitled “Why Aren’t There More Blacks in Oregon?” Have you ever wondered why the Black population in Oregon is so small? Oregon has a history not only of Black exclusion and discrimination, but also of a vibrant Black culture that helped sustain many communities throughout the state—a history that is not taught in schools. Portland State University adjunct professor Walidah Imarisha will lead participants through an interactive timeline of Black history in Oregon and will also discuss how history, politics, and culture have shaped—and will continue to shape—the landscape for Black Oregonians.

This event is free and open to the public.

Taking Focus on the Family to a Whole New Level

December 16th, 2011

Cross-posted on New Wine.

This article by Dr. Paul Louis Metzger was published through Fathers and Families Coalition of America, Inc. and will later be published by Great Commission News. It serves well as an introduction to the themes that were addressed at The Table: a forum on fatherlessness on November 22 in San Francisco.

The John 17:23 Network – December gathering

December 8th, 2011

The John 17:23 Network exists to encourage, exhort, and equip the multi-ethnic Body of Christ in the greater Portland area to fulfill Jesus’ prayer that we might all be one. We will be meeting on December 11 from 7 – 8:30pm at Daniels Memorial Church Of God In Christ (1234 NE Killingsworth St. in Portland). You are invited to attend this gathering, which will include a remembrance of gang prevention activist Rob Ingram and prayer for ministries working in the midst of gang violence and related issues in the Portland area. These events, sponsored by The John 17:23 Network in partnership with The Institute for the Theology of Culture: New Wine, New Wineskins, are a sustained effort to become more aware of and engage issues of gang violence.

What the Gospel Means for Portland

November 21st, 2011

This month Christianity Today launched a project called “This Is Our City”. The first city they profiled was Portland. Dr. Paul Louis Metzger was asked to write an article for the project website about the gospel and Portland. You can read the article here.

The John 17:23 Network – November gathering

November 11th, 2011

The John 17:23 Network exists to encourage, exhort, and equip the multi-ethnic Body of Christ in the greater Portland area to fulfill Jesus’ prayer that we might all be one. We will be meeting on November 13 from 7 – 8:30pm at Trinity Full Gospel Pentecostal Church (4801 NE 19th Ave. in Portland). You are invited to attend this gathering, at which John Canda will be speaking on gang violence and related issues in the Portland area. This event, sponsored by The John 17:23 Network, is a sustained effort to become more aware of and engage issues of gang violence.

John Canda is on the front lines of gang violence intervention efforts both locally and regionally. He has a close working relationship with the Portland Police Bureau and their Gang Violence Task Force. He has appeared on the local news as an authoritative voice on the issues of Portland gang violence. John is the founder of CONNECTED which seeks to reduce youth violence through youth engagement and other prevention efforts. Connected was founded on April 27, 2011 just after the gang-related murder of Shiloh Hampton at Holladay Park in Ne Portland.

The John 17:23 Network – October gathering

October 5th, 2011

The John 17:23 Network exists to encourage, exhort, and equip the multi-ethnic Body of Christ in the greater Portland area to fulfill Jesus’ prayer that we might all be one. We will be meeting on October 9 from 7 – 8:30pm at Imago Dei Community (1302 SE Ankeny; Portland) in room 201. You are invited to attend this gathering, at which Robert Richardson will be speaking on gang violence and related issues in the Portland area. This event will introduce The John 17:23 Network to a sustained effort to become more aware of and address issues of gang violence.

Mr. Richardson has been on the front lines of gang violence intervention efforts both locally and nationally. He has a close working relationship with the Portland Police Bureau and their Gang Violence Task Force. He has appeared on the local news as an authoritative voice on the issues of Portland gang violence. He comes to The John 17:23 Network as an Elder at Emmanuel Temple in Northeast Portland.

The John 17:23 Network – May gathering (with a special focus on refugees)

May 6th, 2011

On Sunday, May 15, The John 17:23 Network will take a special look at how the values of the network penetrate the issue of caring for refugees.

Join us on Sunday, May 15 at 6:00pm at Central Bible Church (8815 NE Glisan St. in Portland). This event is open to the public. See you there!

UPDATE: Wondering how you can learn more about refugees in Portland? Click here for a list of resources.