Hipster Faith!

In September there was an article in Christianity Today entitled “Hipster Faith, When Cool Meets Christ.” Listen to this dialogue.

And do not grieve the Spirit of God with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Ephesians 4:27

"Imagine, if you can, a Christian movement mostly designed by believers under age 40. They are concerned that their parent’s faith is too fundamentalist, culturally backward, anti-intellectual, and obsessed with dispensational end-times theology. The fundamentalists may have decent theology in many areas, say these Christians, but seem unconcerned about the poor and other social injustices; and mobilize politically on only one or two moral issues. If only we demonstrated Christ's love more, we would not only find more people drawn to Jesus, Christianity would also be much more culturally acceptable. That, more or less defines the neo-evangelical movement of Carl F.H. Henry, Richard Halvorson, Ken Taylor, Billy Graham, and Harold Ockenga in the late 1940's. Today's "Hipster Christianity" may be less a rejection of the evangelical movement than an echo of Henry's, “The Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism." September Issue of Christianity Today (pg13)

Last Sunday night I preached at the Rooted Congregation. It was awesome. The music was cool, the testimony by a young male leader was… well, it knocked my socks off! The fellowship was hip. The only thing not cool at this service was me. I once lost my cool when my daughter Elise was a newborn and my football buddies caught me wearing a burp cloth, but I preached wearing a cool hat. Man that hat really did a great job that night of delivering the sermon.

I love every young person at that service. I pray for them weekly. They are really good people. Every so often a not so young person comes, but everyone is so cool – it’s just cool! I guess if I asked someone from the service they would not like me describing it as cool, but the article in Christianity Today reminded me of them. It defined the “Hipsters” as different from: The Jesus People, The Emergent Church, the Proto-Indie Folkies, and the Christian Surf Punk Scene. Brett McCracken’s “Hipster Faith” draws a line from the Jesus movement of the 60s and 70s through countercultural streets to the “Hipster Faith.” I for one am glad that the Rooted Congregation that started in the summer of 2010 is flourishing. When I pray for them I have great hopes. They are a new generation. Like any new service the attendance goes up and down but the spirit is always up. Sometimes that service’s offering is bigger than any other. Most times their jokes are the right up there with any congregation in the church. Their communion is sweet and it feels like they are going to change the world.

Do the whole world a favor and pray for the youth ministries, the Rooted Congregation and for those that are stepping out as leaders that God will mightily bless their lives.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White