Had you been on a New York subway recently, you would have been doing what most other riders were doing, namely, avoiding eye contact and reading the ads on the walls. You would have noticed—right next to the Finlandia vodka ad—one with this large, in-your-face headline: BECOME A LOSER!

Then in smaller print: "If you're looking for the courage to give up the things in this world that keep you from being the best you can be, give us a call. We'll help you lose your life and build a new one. After all, Jesus Christ lost everything, and he gained the whole world."

You had to read the even finer print at the bottom to discover who dared to sponsor an ad like that. It was part of a $12,000-a-month campaign sponsored by the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest, Fifth Avenue, Manhattan.

I give them credit. "Become a Loser" is a tough message to sell today. I don't know if it has ever been especially easy.

Not long ago I prepared a message for my congregation on this topic, and I found ...