Hipster Jesus

Some homogenous units that are meeting behind closed doors in suburban or ex-urban megachurches act out the concept of Sartre’s play “No Exit”, which depicts hell as three self-consumed individuals who are locked up in a room with no escape and whose eyelids cannot close. These christians gather there, with eyes wide open, some of them hanging around the coffee bar to check out the possibilities for future dates, perhaps in hopes of building cozy christian homes. Some others plan evangelistic ski trips to Vail, with the only aim of showing their non-christian homogenous friends that Christians can have fun, too. -Paul Metzger in the book “Consuming Jesus”

Can I say something to you 20 somethings?

Church is more than how many people of the opposite sex are gathered together.
If you are choosing to worship somewhere that takes a half tank of gas to get there, just so you can increase your chances to land a mate or sip a latte with hipster Jesus...you are building a christian life that is dangerously self centered.

I know, I know that is harsh but...when are we going to stop looking to the church as the grand love boat and return to the church as a place of mission and worship? If I hear another college aged person tell me they are choosing their place of worship based on how many “peeps” attend there, I am going to puke. Friends are grand but what if Christ is telling you to plant your butt someplace that isn’t going to add a whole lot of pics of hot chicks or swell fellas to your myspace page? I fear we are attending churches to dance around the social phallic symbol or modern asherah poles. It’s egocentric christian hedonism turned into snazzy latte worship...it’s all about our own needs being met. It’s really just spiritual narscissim. I am praying for some young Josiah’s who will cut down the asherah poles and usher in a season of dedicated zeal to serve God with purity of heart and willing hands to serve.