Mission Yearbook: ‘Christian Minimalism’ author explains why more is never enough at conference

A TV commercial years ago asked: “Who thinks more is better than less?” The answer was that of course more is better.

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The Rev. Dr. Becca Ehrlich speaks during Stewardship Kaleidoscope (Photo by Gregg Brekke)

It made the Rev. Dr. Becca Ehrlich uneasy in ways she couldn’t pinpoint, but she went on to write ”Christian Minimalism: Simple Steps for Abundant Living.” She delivered the message at the combined plenary and closing worship at Stewardship Kaleidoscope in New Orleans. The annual conference was presented by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

It was a truly New Orleans-flavored service, with up-tempo renditions of “I’m Gonna Live So God Can Use Me” and “Shall We Gather at the River?” on keyboard and trumpet. The Rev. Dr. Alonzo Johnson, coordinator for the Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People program in Presbyterian Life & Witness, also led worship.

Ehrlich, an ELCA pastor, is executive director and founder of New Breath Spirituality Center within First Presbyterian Church of Albany, New York. She said more can be detrimental. Even those who do not have the mental illness known as hoarding typically have way more stuff than they need, she said. The average American home has 300,000 things in it, and it’s not unusual to think acquiring more items, with bigger homes to fit them in, is a good thing.

“No matter how much we have, we always feel like we need more,” she said.

That’s been a problem for a while. Adam and Eve lived in a literal paradise with everything they could ever need, but with a snake’s encouragement, they wanted more — the knowledge God has. “As we know, it didn’t end well for them.”

Then there was the successful farmer in Jesus’ parable who decided to stockpile all the food and supplies he could, building bigger barns to hold it all.

“But then God is like: Guess what? You actually die tonight. What’s going to happen to all that stuff?”

Friends or family will spend days or weeks sorting it out. He could have left more memories instead.

We’re always looking for the next thing, Ehrlich said.

“We innately know what’s most important in life, but our consumer society hijacks our sinfulness so that we perpetuate this consumer cycle,” she said.

When we start making more money or buy that bigger house, we may be happier at first, but that quickly levels out. We start chasing more again and it becomes harder to be happy with less. It’s a process known as the “hedonic treadmill,” she said.

“Luckily, Jesus tells us there’s a different way to live,” she said — as he told his hearers, one’s life does not consist in an abundance of possessions. Only God can fill our deepest needs and desires.

Acknowledging this, we can receive forgiveness and do better, Ehrlich said.

So many of us cite Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” But look at the original context, Ehrlich advised.

The letter Paul wrote from prison to the believers in Philippi affirmed that, having had both little and plenty, he’s learned to be content with whatever he has. “So, Paul’s famous words about Christ strengthening him in all things is actually about being satisfied with how much or how little one has,” she said.

“God helps us to put our focus on those things that are most important, rather than our stuff,” Ehrlich said. “God is calling us to use the resources entrusted to us to the glory of God.

“How is God inviting you to live a life of enough?”

As part of the offertory, participants were invited to write down one obstacle keeping them from doing that. Then they could come forward and drop the slip of paper into a baptismal font.

The service concluded in even truer New Orleans fashion with “When the Saints Go Marching In.” Worshipers marched around the room singing, waving handkerchiefs (and at least one parasol). 

Nancy Crowe for the Presbyterian Foundation (Click here to read original PNS Story)

Let us join in prayer for:

Penny Franklin, Executive Relations Coordinator, Executive Office, The Presbyterian Foundation
Marissa Galvan-Valle, Associate, Hispanic Resources & Relationships, Growing Faith Resources, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation

Let us pray:

Father, we thank you for calling us to be your hands and feet. We ask you to open our hearts and minds to do your work every day, everywhere, and through everyone that we meet. You have placed us here to do your work and with your help we will gladly obey. Amen.

Mission Yearbook: Rev. Dr. Becca Ehrlich explores Christian minimalism as sacred simplicity

In a recent episode of the “New Way” podcast, host the Rev. Sara Hayden explores the topic of Christian minimalism with Lutheran minister and spiritual director the Rev. Dr. Becca Ehrlich. Hayden explains how “taking stock of what is truly important and eliminating that which is not important” is a great place to start when exploring practices that ground people as human beings.

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The Rev. Dr. Becca Ehrlich

Grounding spiritual practices like sabbath, contemplation and pilgrimage have been the focus of Hayden’s conversations with this season’s guests, and future conversations center on practices of intentional, beloved communities. In her conversation with Ehrlich, who wrote the book “Christian Minimalism: Simple Steps for Abundant Living,” Hayden delves deeper into how the action of subtracting uncovers the fear of emptiness, revealing a spaciousness in which spiritual lives may flourish.

Ehrlich, who lives with chronic illness, started her minimalism journey in 2017 after watching the Netflix documentary “Minimalism” and felt God calling her to a minimalist lifestyle. When her husband, Will, watched it later that evening, he also felt the call. She began blogging about it when she didn’t find deep theological reflection or support for Christian minimalist lifestyles online.

According to Ehrlich, minimalism is “a focus on the aspects of life that matter most and intentionally removing everything else.” In six months, Becca and Will cut down their material possessions by 60%. Ehrlich is clear that decluttering is only a part of minimalism. She also pared down her online habits, curbed a shopping habit, unsubscribed from email lists and social media groups and simplified her schedule. Ehrlich describes how she and her husband simplified their possessions and lifestyles in phases so that the process of letting go of stuff didn’t overwhelm them. She also tells Hayden about the emotional parts, including letting go of baby items bought for a child that they lost at birth. Ehrlich leaned on her Christian faith when managing the difficult emotions that came with letting go of the things she had collected in her life and understanding the motivations behind where she gave her time and attention.

“It's going to be an emotional journey,” said Ehrlich, who advised being gentle with oneself when a surprising emotion rises up. “Feeling those emotions and working through those emotions is really important as opposed to doing what consumer culture wants us to do, which is stuff it down and go buy more,” she said.

Ehrlich teaches about Christian minimalism in churches and for seminaries and works with individuals through spiritual direction in shifting their worldview away from the consumerist culture that surrounds and distracts people. She says the greatest benefit to embracing minimalism is the spaciousness she and others have received to live more presently and intentionally, making space for God and for the people they love.

“I don't think we fully think through what the upkeep part is of things that we bring into our lives,” said Ehrlich, who pointed out how this applies to stuff but also to time commitments. [Listen to an audio clip.]

She also debunked some myths about minimalism. It can be cozy, comforting and colorful. She owns blankets, wall art and red shoes!

"It’s not a failure on our part. It’s more that we’ve internalized all these consumerism messages over the years,” said Ehrlich, who described how minimalism as a practice leaves space for more meaning in people’s lives. Christianity already articulates the meaning waiting for people as they clear away their reliance on possessions and productivity to define them and allow themselves to be embraced by the beloved image in which the Creator made them. Before starting her minimalist journey, Ehrlich admitted to having an online shopping habit, having thoughts like, “Oh, I need this thing to be more accepted by people or to belong or feel loved or feel beautiful.”

“When in reality, we're human beings,” said Ehrlich, “and we can have all those things without all the trappings.”

Listen to the 45-minute conversation between the Rev. Sara Hayden and the Rev. Dr. Becca Ehrlich here.

Beth Walteman, Communications Strategist, Interim Unified Agency, PC(USA) (Click here to read original PNS Story)

Let us join in prayer for:

Natalie Shilstut, Director, Programs & Services, Presbyterian Historical Society
Victoria Shircliffe, Social Media Specialist, Communications Ministry, Interim Unified Agency   

Let us pray:

God of Grace and Giver of Life, today may we be ever mindful of all the ways in which you bring deliverance to us, and may we learn to live in ways that honor the dignity of all your people. Amen.