A Christmas present to start a new fad...

This hand crotched picture was given to me for Christmas. Not sure if it will be as popular as WWJD... maybe with some subversive Xns ;)

Making church more attractive?

A friend of mine recently put it like this...

Trying to make church more attractive to a non-Xn is very much like trying to make going to a nudist colony more attractive. Usually we do things like serve good coffee or have great music. But I think it's fair to say that that has as much chance of getting someone to church as a having good coffee or great music at a nudist colony. For most people the idea is not even on their radar.

To often I think we worry about getting the wrapping right and forgetting to explain what the present is all about. No matter how good the packaging is if the person isn't interested in the gift they are not going to like it.

In fact, this will be my new test if any one suggests doing xxx in order to get more people to church I will think would that get me to a nudist colony? If the answer is no then, then I'll advise them against doing xxx if the sole reason is to get more people to church.

Church surf 2: Christmas Eve Midnight Mass

Now this was good. Not contemporary in form, but done in a way that meant something particularly to those in the service. Perhaps this is what makes a church good - when it is a meaningful expression of the congregation's faith. Perhaps this is really all I am looking for a meaningful way of expressing my faith. Although this was good I can't see myself making the long trek to the city every week, and this service was more a spectacle to watch rather than a community to be a part of. Although perhaps combined with a home group I could trek in for major festivals - Christmas, Easter, Pentecost and perhaps a 3 or 4 more. mmmm...

Church surf 1

In a word frustrating. A church which obviosuly had obviosusly been quite traditional in it's recent past but is now trying to be new and contemporary. Alas the service I attended tried to walk a middle ground and failed at being either traditional or contemporary. Like non alcoholic wine and sugar free soft drink before it the result was worse than the sum of its parts. I was a little concerened at how I could walk out of the service and not be spoken to by anyone.

5 weeks of slackness

Sunday 1: moved house
Sunday 2&3: in Sydney for sisters wedding
Sunday 4: diving home after playing at a Xn festival on Saturday night
Sunday 5: couldn't get up because had just got back from being up to 3am each night for the preceding week cleaning vomit out the hair of drunk school leavers

I have been in my new house for 5 sundays and failed to go to church every sunday morning. Wondering if I'm just not cut out for this regular sunday morning worship thing.