SO, i just finished reading "Hipster Christianity: when church and cool collide" by brett mccracken (27 years old). There is definitely a change in the air about how young people are thinking about church. I just want to share a few quotes from the book rather than try to sum it up myself... because he articulates it so well. (although i recommend reading the whole book to get the point in it's entirety)
"Is Christianity cool in today's culture? And I mean naturally cool. As in- are people attracted to and desirous of it on its own accord? or must it be cool in the marketed, presentational sense? or perhaps there is a third option- a much more insidious, countercultural idea: perhaps Christianity is hopelessly unhip, maybe even the anti-cool. what if it turns out that Christianity's endurance comes from the fact that it is, has been, and continues to be the antithesis and antidote to the intoxicating and exhausting drive in our human nature for cool (for independence, for survival, for leadership, for hipness)? pg 29
"the whole notion of cool says we are better than the majority-we are a minority with privileged knowledge and narrow access to whatever is "in" at the moment... You don't have to read far in the New Testament that this self obsession is pretty un-Christian. "do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves" (phil 2:3) In Romans there is directive to not think of ourselves more highly than we ought (ro 12:3)... and what do we make of the mandate for every follower of Christ to "deny himself, and take up his cross and follow [Christ]" (matt 16:24)...You cannot be humble and obsessed with your image. You cannot be poor in spirit when you spend five minutes trying to decide which pair of sunglasses to wear or how high to roll up your skinny jeans before leaving the house in the morning. And you cannot put others before yourself if you are sold out to the pursuit of your own cool persona" pg 197
"I think the Christian hipster lifestyle has become far too accomodating and accepting of sin, something that should actually shock and disturb us. If it's uncool to draw lines about what behavior is permissible and prudent for the Christian, then Christians should start getting used to the idea of being uncool." pg 200
"The church today has a weakness for numbers. We are infatuated with measurements and quantified data. In other words the church today operates like a corporation, with a product to sell and a market to conquer. But what happens to our faith when we turn it into a product to sell?... let's think for a minute about what Christianity is and why it doesn't make a good "product"... It doesnt lend itself to an easy commercial sale. Sure there are appealing things about it, but there are also not so appealing things about it (um... taking up one's cross, avoiding sin and worldliness, etc)... when people are sold Christianity they in the same way that they are sold a pair of shoes or cell phone upgrade, they will naturally think of Christianity in the same way they do any other consumer product. Attempting to sell the Gospel as cool, then, is dangerous proposition, because it bases the attractiveness of the Gospel on an external marketability and cool that will appeal to people but has very little to do with the actual content of the message. Converts to this gospel will be like the seeds on rocky soil in Matt 13-rootless." pg 226
"it's significantly harder to convince people to adopt a full Christian life that makes no promises about instant gratification and almost guarantees hardship. Such a thing isn't easily sold, but its worth more than anything you might ever buy." pg 227
"I'm convinced that most secular seekers today care very little about how cool church is, but very much about how authentic it is... they aren't looking for something trendy and fashionable and transient; they want something deep and lasting and transcendent. They don't want a copy cat church that looks just like their own cool culture (only a few steps behind) they want something alternative, unique, profound, lasting and transformative." pg 228
"True relevance does not fear unpopularity. Because it clings to eternal truths, relevant Christianity doesnt feel hurt when people don't smile and nod affirmingly at everything its says. It doesn't flinch when accused of being "out of the loop" or behind the times." Accusing something eternal of being behind the times is, of course, laughable." pg 241
"Quite simply, the church needs to remember that this whole thing is not about us, but God. We should not go to church to get something, because church is not about us." pg 243
"The desire to be cool, hip, fashionable and recognized... its all a vain pursuit and a waste of time. it comes from a very human place, but it's a distraction and a self destructing futility. Our instinct toward cool will only be satisfied in Christ. As new creations, saved by grace and guided by the Holy Spirit, we are called to lives of selflessness and love and renewal. Here-in service of Christ and with God as the center and core of out being- our identities become more fully realized than we've ever known. If that's not cool. I don't know what is. pg 247
read more in THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
also for fun
