I was at a “contemporary” church yesterday and someone asked me about trends affecting the church. this is what i was thinking:
1. The past is the new future
2. Singing slow is the new singing fast
3. Dressing up is the new dressing down
4. Staying in is the new going out
Have a nice day at church everyone!
oops – marc shaw left a comment here asking me to elablorate – but his comment came out 5 times on a repeated posting and i accidently deleted his posts.
i’m not saying i will elaborate – i might soon but not today – i am just saying “oops” sorry marc
that sounds remarkably like the josie and the pussycats movie…
Orange is the new pink!
Sounds like Leonard Sweet’s “Ancient Future,” to me.
“Dressing Up is the new Dressing Down”. That one’s the most interesting one to me. Hmm.
OK – some padding to go with it.
Dressing up – i have noticed the importance of “costume” and the reaction to the “smart casual” dress code of contemporary churches and conferences. Emerging culture people seem to be dressing up, not necessarily more formally – although that change is happening too – but are outdressing the baby boomers.
At conferences, i am often wearing better clothes than the older folk – who are kinda expecting me to wear the grungy jeans and washed out shirts that i used to wear in the 80’s.
vintage thrift store clothes are my personal favourite – and this is usually more dressing up than putting on some levis and a polo neck, or dockers and a blue shirt.
Observation: A house church started up with atists that had no or little experience with church – i was surprised to see them all dress up for the dinner. It was like going out to a show, even though it took place in a kitchen.
Put these artists in a typical church service, adn they would stand out as people who had “dressed up” for church – which almost seems a no-no for seeker sensitive churches that find identity in the informality of their dress code.
thanks bro..
would still enjoy seeing even a one sentence elaboration on those 4 observations.
Ya see… I’m an old guy and need a little extra hep…
liturgy is the new way to be different.
liturgy is a good example.
all 4:
past – more interesting than the future
singing slow – we used to speed up all the songs in church to make them livelier – but now people are slowing them down
dressing up – i mentioned this one
staying in – who went out for the millenium celebration? most people chose to be at home with close friends. with all our new technology, big screens, gourmet food in our fridges, staying in is more attracctive than it ever has been.