Screwtape is Back

Dear Wormwood,

It goes without saying that part of our job is control. If we fail to pay attention to the individual believer, they can suddenly fall out of our control and catch fire. Next they begin to spread their faith to others and you and I have to answer to higher powers.

One of the best ways to keep control is to use the “ principle of crowding”. Fill the believer’s life up with things to do. Make sure that your believer has no time for personal Bible study and prayer. You can use the “cares of the world” to crowd the believer’s time and to change his or her focus. More creatively you can use religious tasks and church obligations to crowd personal times of devotion. Ah, and this is where our work becomes art. To use the things of the church to crowd out relationship between the believer and “You know Who.”

Just as you must show care with the believer; you must also show the same care with the church. Believers are much like coals (something we are both familiar with.) You keep them apart. Individually the coals will die; collectively they are likely to spring into flame, an event we do not want to happen. Once they spring into flame as a group you might encounter what they refer to as a “revival” which is to be avoided at all costs. Like all fires, then the revival begins to spread and who knows what that will lead to, except that there will be penalties to be paid.

A spirit of separation is useful in keeping the coals separate. Keep the people in the church separated by using anything possible. Pride, selfish ambition, distrust-use any method that comes to mind. But back to the principle of “crowding out.” This is somewhat like smothering the fire (some of the church radicals call this “quenching the spirit.”)

Well, quench the spirit quickly, less a fire be started in the heart of the church. The “principle of crowding out” can be used in the church services. Most services run one hour or slightly longer. (They have very short attention spans.) Begin the service with announcements. Make sure that there are many of them. Encourage the people to make announcements from the floor. Talk about good things the church is doing. Perhaps show a video on the youth or missions or Bible school or anything else-just don’t let there be praise, prayer or a word of “You know Who" be given. Crowd, crowd, crowd, at all costs.

Encourage a long time of welcome and shaking hands. Let that be the substitute for real relationship or koinonea. They will believe that they are a friendly church and see no need for real relationship.

You can also use long offerings, perhaps you can add to them a little guilt. Anything to keep the time passing. Then you can add a special, and two are even better. Keep the people in the position of being spectators as opposed to being worshippers.

Discourage any prayer other than standard rote prayers, which you can encourage to drone on interminably. (Always keep the congregation as a spectator).
By taking these steps, my dear nephew, you can take an hour service, and reduce it down to 15 minutes of real content. The pastor will be frustrated and the people unfed and you will be safe until the next service.

Wormwood, it is the little things that are important. Show diligence. Remember, it is the little foxes that spoil the vines.

Keep up the good work. Use the “principle of crowding.” And let the little foxes do the work.

Your affectionate Uncle

SCREWTAPE