Some of us were raised in churches with a heavy emphasis on the fallen state of humanity. Our personal participation in sin was reinforced weekly in sermon and song .

If the words, “For such a worm as I,” roll easily from your lips, then you qualify. (If not, dig up an old Broadman Hymnal, turn to number 112, and sing the first verse about 396 times to see what you missed.)

If there was any lesson that could not be missed in such a faith tradition, it was that Adam and Eve blew it and, therefore, we now blow it too.

Humorist Grady Nutt came along in the ‘70s and helped some of us out. He did not debunk the idea of our human frailties, but lovingly and laughingly pointed out that God sees us as much more than messed-up worms in need of rescue.

Grady had just written a little book titled Being Me when I first encountered him and his welcomed message. During a conference in Ridgecrest, N.C., Grady took the key statement from his book and embedded it in our teenaged minds.

“I am a person of worth, created in the image of God, to relate and to live.” It became a mantra to us that week and is still easily retrieved from my mind decades later.

My generation got the message that we were important, but often took the idea of our goodness and value a bit too far. Therefore, the ‘70s became known as the “Me Decade”

Researcher Christopher Lasch, author of the well-known book, The Culture of Narcissism, said of us: “Americans have retreated to purely personal preoccupations. Having no hope in improving their lives in any of the ways that matter, people have convinced themselves that what matters is psychic self-improvement; getting in touch with their feelings … learning how to ‘relate.’”

Stephen Lynch of the Orange County Register more recently noted that the ‘Me Decade’ never went away and attributes reproduction by self-centered Baby Boomers with its continuation. He cites the lack of shame by participants and viewers of so-called reality television as a good example of our current self-absorption.

The advent of self-published memoirs provides another prime example, said Lynch. He calls them “the double bourbons of egocentricity.”

The cycle continues. Sandy Hotchkiss, author of Why Is It Always About You?, points to yet another generation of “kids that never got their bubbles burst” coming along.

“There’s a sense of entitlement,” she writes. “They can get whatever they want.”

Of course, American society does not get all of its messages from the church and the sources of influence are widely diverse. But indeed we should regularly raise the question: “How much ‘me’ is too much?”

We don’t need to create a guilt-ridden society that sees itself as worms. But we need to counter the over-reaction that has resulted in total self-focus.

Kate Halvorson is right: “If you are all wrapped up in yourself — you are overdressed.”

What we need is a well-balanced answer based on broad biblical teachings, for mature Christian living is most often found in the balance between extremes.

Certainly that is the case in answering the question of our personal value and goodness, for scripture clearly reveals to us both the easy embrace of sin and the grace of God that comes from being dearly loved.

Will Campbell, who jokingly says that he “writes rare books for a living,” is an unusual Baptist Christian. He often sees through our church fads and failures. His critiques are not always comfortable, but they are often constructive.

The reflective old Tennessee preacher is a helpful source in answering the question of how much “me” is too much. Campbell has pretty much boiled down most everything he has learned throughout his remarkable life to two simple statements.

First: “When God says you are a sinner — believe him.” And, second: “When God says you are forgiven — believe that too.”