Cartoon from “toothpaste for dinner”
“People committed to being cool do not trust each other. They’re cynical, skeptical and suspicious of one another. Cool people tend to look at each other with derision and worry that someone else might soon assume the crown of cool. Thus, a definite sense of withdrawal and removal goes along with hipster relationships; they only let so many people in and those who do get in are allowed only limited access. Cool people tightly guard the inner sanctum of their hip cachet. All of this bodes ill for Christians who are called to put away all malice, deceit and envy and rather be ’harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted and humble in spirit’ (1Peter 2;1; 3;8).”
The above quote from Hipster Christianity came to mind yesterday in Church when we read & heard a sermon on James Ch 2.
“For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing……..”
………..and, like always its the done thing to say ‘good sermon’ or ‘that was powerful.’ It really was though!
The sin of partiality – as dealt with in James Ch2 – whether in the name of what’s ‘hip & cool’ or in the name of good old ‘twisted judgmentalism’ is a vile trap we all manage to fall into often enough. I need to work on it – so do you!
Thinking I am better than, cooler than, smarter than, Holier than, wealthier than etc. We all do it!
“It’s hard to deny yourself or take up any cross daily when you’re chained to the shackles of hip”
I know someone who doesn’t want to go to a particular local church, because it has the appearance of a ‘pretty peoples church’. If one person feels this way, then there must be others that are put off by this appearance of ‘cool’
Yep – its a tough thing though, Ive had people say to me that HIgh Kirk is a middle class snobby place and in some ways i can see why they would label it that way – the car park has a few luxury cars in it and our building is nice etc – but we know it to be very different so on the face of it people can make unfair judgements because of how something appears…..
yea, that’s true I guess, it is unfair to judge by appearance, and we are all guilty of that
absolutely – even in not judging others we can find ourselves judging others for judging others……sigh!
I wouldn’t say it’s entirely unfair to label High Kirk that way. I was there the morning a child was laughed at because she told the minister during children’s address that she took her holiday in Portstewart..
Mmmm – i hear ya
Iv seen the other side of that though – the guy who is “working class” and proud which is fine but, they are always moaning about the other guys in the flash cars who have a holiday home in Costa Del wherever …….their issue with that and their attitude toward it can be just as harsh, twisted and damaging to the Church