Hipster Faith

Have you ever wondered when you see something twice in a day, that you need to take a closer look.  That happened today.  I was watching FOX's morning show this morning, and they were talking about "hipsters".  Obviously, since I am a child of the 60's, it caught my attention.  They had a comedian/contributor on their show.  His name, Steven Crowder wrote a column on, "The Trouble With Hipsters".  In it he basically described me to a tee about 35 years ago.  Fortunately, I outgrew it, and it remains a laughable moment in my life.  It's just another way for the left to foster a negative view of what God ultimately planned for us to be.  It's narcissistic, and just plain stupid.

That said, when I got home from church today, I saw this month's copy of Christianity Today.  On the cover, there's a picture of Jesus with a pair of Ray-Ban Wayfarer's on, knocking on the door.  On the cover (below)

Christianity Today Magazine, September 2010

What happens when cool meets Christ, The Ironic World of Hipster Faith.  OK, you've got my attention, so I read the article.  I think the word irony works here.  Been there done that, would be another way of saying it. Brett McCracken who wrote the article, and I mentioned in a blog a few days ago; he also wrote a book, "Hipster Christianity", writes on the movement.  In it he describes the movement as something that "isn't a monolithic subculture that can be easily categorized, but it definitely has recognizable characteristics."  I think that there is something missed here, and it's all style.  I know as young man, I had to rebel.  I had to discover.  I had to find out myself, because as a child of the 60's, I was very cynical, and trusted no one, especially the church.  Amish children do the same thing, "rumspringa", where around 16 they go out, and discover the world, and decide if they want to have the believer's baptism, and become a part of the Amish church.  Most Amish children stay in the church, as I did, because I discovered what works.  Hipster Christianity is just another liberal theological movement.  Liberal theology is nothing by secularism with theological terms, but this is nothing but style.  What are your reading, what are you watching, and what are you listening to?  Unfortunately, the only thing that works is a belief in Jesus Christ.  After finding out what worked, I finally grew up.  Hopefully, hipster Christians will eventually will too...