I went to the grocery store after work Monday night and it was a mob scene. Something was clearly happening in the parking lot. It looked like a radio station was broadcasting live from our neighborhood grocer and some people had even brought those folding chairs I used to take to soccer games. Apparently there would be Fabulous Prizes.
I went inside to purchase my Greek yogurt and paper towels. No time to wait around for Fabulous Prizes.
After covering my grocery list, I was returning to the car when the DJ said, “And the winner is: Patsy Pace” or something like that and Patsy Pace was waiting there in the parking lot and she was Thrilled because she’d won 2 tickets to a Toby Keith concert. And then the DJ said on the loudspeaker, “Who’s excited about the season premiere of Dancing with the Stars tonight?! And whose going to be home watching the new Two and a Half Men tonight?! And- don’t lie to me now – who’s going to be home with a six pack watching that new Playboy bunny TV show?!” And people cheered.
I kind of felt like a freak. No wonder church pews are empty for many of our congregations. There is a huge disconnect between these very nice people hoping against hope for free Toby Keith tickets and the very nice people who will offer an earnest exegesis of Exodus 17:1-7 this Sunday. I don’t mean to be classist or judgemental in any way, but – in truth – I am. Most people don’t care about Biblical exegesis. They are trying to survive and – occasionally – they hope to get free concert tickets. It takes a special commitment to want to change the world because we’ve had a personal encounter with the Holy. It’s a shift that changes how we feel about racing home to watch “Two and a Half Men.”
It sounds very judgemental and even obnoxious. But I’m looking for a different kind of life. Yes, I need my grocery staples. And I’m all about free stuff. But what does it say about my ministry if I can’t connect with people who are trying to survive out there?
Just wondering on a random Tuesday.
A Church for Starving Artists 
