I absolutely loved N.D. Wilson’s book Notes From the Tilt-A-Whirl: Wide-Eyed Wonder in God’s Spoken World. (If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend reading it before you see the movie!).

Now they are making a “cinematic treatment of a worldview,” setting the book and its themes to cinema. I’m really looking forward to this. Here is the trailer:

There is a coffee shop a couple of minutes from my house. I go there sometimes to work on stuff for Church of the Cross and to have meetings. For the most part, I like this coffee shop, precisely because they have succeeded in some aspect of becoming a “third place” (without going so far as actually naming it “Third Place”). Whereas Starbucks has shifted (at least here in Phoenix) towards more of a drive-through culture, this coffee shop has plenty of space, tables and wi-fi use with a receipt.

There are lots of students there, which is a cool atmosphere, but it seems to be that, precisely they have succeeded in the “third place” mentality that there’s an  (probably) unintended consequence: the place is full of Christians. How do I know, you ask; because they’re having bible studies at nearly every other table. You have to wade through a sea of study bibles and popular “Christian” authors to find a table.

I realize that this might be perceived as a bit awkward, since I am a pastor and all. After all, part of my “job” is to make and mature Christians. But that’s just it; I seem to find myself around Christians a whole lot of the time. I go to a place like this coffee shop partly to work outside of an isolated office and partly to “do the work of an evangelist” (2 Timothy 4:5). But, what if the place where I find myself is full of Christians (even if the owners didn’t intend for this to be the case)?

As I’ve wondered why Christians would fill a place like this, I’ve come to wonder if it’s because the owners have somehow created a “safe place” for Christians. There’s generally generic “classic rock” on the radio and they only sort of serve alcohol. It’s typically full of students who keep to themselves and aren’t all that interested in conversation. The perfect place for Christians to feel like they’re “out in the culture” while still being able to feel safe.

I think this is an all-too common trend among Christians. Again, I’m not saying that this is what the owners of this coffee shop have tried to do, but we also have our share of “Christian” coffee houses in our area. While claiming to want to reach out to those who don’t believe, Christians create a coffee shop or something similar in hopes that it will be populated by “those unbelievers.” But the problem, too-often, seems to be that the places we create are “safe” for Christians and unappealing to those who don’t believe.

But this doesn’t seem to be the approach that Jesus took. Jesus hung out with the “sinners” (Luke 15:1, etc.) and this actually made the “religious people quite uncomfortable. In fact, the “holy” people were quite uncomfortable because they thought Jesus was a “glutton and drunkard” (Luke 7:34). In fact, it oftentimes seems as though Jesus goes out of His way to make a “safe place” for sinners rather than religious people.

What might this mean for the way we love and serve those who don’t yet follow Jesus? Should we expect them to come into our “safe place” or should we be willing to go into theirs? Better yet, what if we created spaces where they were comfortable and felt safe enough to let relationships grow?

I wonder if our well-intentioned pursuit of holiness has actually led us to to be so disconnected from the world around us that we’re only interested in creating spaces where we feel safe and we just don’t get why these spaces are full of Christians? Or do we even notice?

I was talking with my friend Steve the other day and he brought up an interesting thought. What would draw someone to church in American Suburbia (this certainly applies to other contexts, but mine is suburbia so that colors lots of my conversations).

Now, before you go giving me all of your “holy” answers that people are drawn to your church because of Jesus and love and all of that, let me clarify the original thought. When you ask many people in suburbia what drew them to a particular local church over another, their answer usually falls into one of three categories: 1) the kids program, 2) the preaching and/or 3) the music. Yes, many people in in suburbia choose a local church based on personal preference, but let’s think about what draws people.

The kids program is understandable. Suburbanites want the best for their kids, even if it means raising their kids to expect to be catered to and entertained, even while learning about God. I have lots of thoughts about suburban church kids programs but not right now; it’s the music and the preaching that I want to think about today.

Let’s be honest, many people are drawn to certain local churches because of the music and the preaching. But let’s be honest, I don’t need a local church to get great music or preaching. With the rise in technology, I can access some of the world’s best bible teachers any time I want. I can listen to men like Mark Driscoll, Matt Chandler, John Piper, Tim Chester and (even though he’s still a holdout who charges for his sermons) Tim Keller (please don’t use the comment section to air your beefs with any of the names I just mentioned, that’s really not the point). In other words, I can, at any time, listen to a sermon that’s probably “better” than any local preacher around me. Any time I want.

Or, consider the music. Many of our local churches are all singing the same songs so I guess, it comes down to some as a question of “band preference” or ambiance. But, why should I go listen to your band when I can listen to Hillsong do the very song you’re covering? “The live atmosphere,” you might say, but I can put on a live Hillsong DVD, crank up my surround sound system, fill my living room with my kids and get a live experience. Or better, yet, I’ll go see Hillsong’s live movie in the theater. Or better still, I’ll go see them when they tour with Chris Tomlin on the mega-worship tour experience!

Despite my cynicism, I understand the draw of preaching and music, I just think we need to think a little more below the surface. If I have access to the world’s best music/preaching at any time I want, is it really the preaching/music that draws me to a local church? Well, sort of. After all, why don’t we just video in the world’s best preachers and musicians while we all get together on a Sunday morning? Yes, I know about “video venues,” but this is not the norm and I think there are good reasons.

The music and the preaching become different in the context of a local gospel-centered community committed to living together as part of God’s family on mission, sent to serve the world and continually learn to walk in His ways. The music takes on a different light when we sing it with people we are experiencing life with. The preaching takes on a different light when it is directed to us and our specific context, our struggles, our victories, our community.

Though we might have access to the world’s best preaching/music any time we want, the Christian life is not meant to be a solitary existence. The point (at least part of the point) of the music and preaching is not just to equip the individual but the community.

But how often do we hear people say that they were drawn to a local church family precisely because they lived together as family? Maybe this should be our focus? Maybe we should concentrate on laying down our own preferences and rights for the sake of others. Maybe we should know enough about the person sitting across the aisle from us to weep with them when they weep? Maybe we should know their name first? Maybe, if we strive to build true gospel-centered community, the music and the preaching will come alive in ways we never otherwise expected, because really, it’s not about our preferences in the first place.

Town Crier. Weekly this, weekly that. Yada yada yada. Blah blah blah. A little of this, some of that. A bunch of links, some you’re sure to find more interesting than others, but hey, don’t hold that against me, I’m just the messenger, a middle-man of the interwebs, so to speak.

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Register for October’s Together For Adoption conference here in Phoenix.

See 20 pictures of Pee Wee Herman with famous people.

Read about Manny Ramirez retiring after being notified of testing positive for drug use.

Read this post wondering what we’re supposed to do “When ‘Believing The Gospel’ Isn’t Enough?”

The Weekly Rob Bell Hell Roundup

• Read as Craig Blomberg reflects.
• Read as Zach Nielson chimes in.
• Read as Bell’s Hell (or lack thereof) makes Time’s cover.

Read as Tim Keller reminds us why Jesus’ Resurrection is more than just a nice story.

Read about the president of the Czech Republic stealing a pen on camera.

Read about the world’s new hottest pepper.

Browse the Brewers Association’s top 50 craft breweries of 2010.

Read about the Chicago school that has banned students from bringing their own lunches.

Read about the J.Crew pink toenail controversy.

Read about not being able to hear the Verizon guy anymore.

Read as NME interviews Johnny Marr about the Smiths’ reissue for Record Store Day.

Read excerpts from the newly expanded Bob Dylan biography.

Watch 60-second recaps of famous books.

Read about the scholar who uncovered thousands of hand-written pages from Walt Whitman.

Read as Drowned In Sound interviews “Panda Bear” about his new album.

Watch Tim Keller on why we love stories.

Watch Josh Ritter in a Tiny Desk Concert.

Read about JJ Abrams’ book deal.

I am in love with the new album from Hauschka, Salon Des Amateurs. While releases like The Prepared Piano were beautifully quite releases, Salon Des Amateurs finds Hauschka (whose real name is Volker Bertelmann) adding members of Calexico and Múm to flesh out his sound, bringing both warmth and depth without compromising the core of what makes his music so special.

At the heart of Hauschka’s sound is a technique known as “prepared piano,” in which objects are placed on the piano strings to alter the sound, adding vibration, tone and depth, often making it unrecognizable as a piano.

In November, 2010, Volker Bertelmann sat down with NPR’s Guy Raz to demonstrate the technique with objects provided by NPR:

I actually do have several “real” blog posts in the works but for now, enjoy Tom Waits and Neil Young getting behind the mule:

I normally try to wait and post links on Fridays in The Weekly Town Crier posts, but I wanted to pass this fun little music-maker (get your Steve Reich on)along. I couldn’t find the source code or I would have just posted it here. Enjoy. And here’s a different version of the same concept.