Heart Tracks - Hipster Jesus?

"To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." I Peter 5:11......"The 'Hipster Nativity Set' is making news today. It features Mary and Joseph taking a selfie with Jesus inside a manger with solar panels on the roof. The wise men are riding Segways and carrying Amazon packages. A shepherd is posting the birth on Instagram. Jim Denison

I would once have thought such a nativity scene to be unthinkable. Not any more. Why would it be? We in the Church have been steadily lessening the element of supernatual mystery from the three in One God for some time now. We've created a God in our image. A God who is very much like us. We have hipster churches and hipster pastors. Why should we not have a hipster Jesus? In our well intentioned efforts to make people feel comfortable and welcome, I believe we have lost the element of reverent worship. In our efforts to become relevant to people, dare we ask the question of whether our "worship" has become irrelevant to Him?

I realize I'm an "old guy"now, but I don't think I'm an old guy set in his ways....at least as concerns His Church. I realize we cannot use the ministry methods of 1970 in the culture of 2016, but I believe we have lost the sense of awe and wonder of the One we call Lord. Throughout His Word, when men and women encountered Him, the response of the seeking heart could only be worship. Usually they could not even remain on their feet. Falling face down before Him was the most common response. Peter, realizing he was in the presence of Someone he had never encountered before, was convicted of his sin and unworthiness. His glory literally blinded Paul on the Damascus Road. Even in the garden, as they came to arrest Him, a few words from Him literally knocked them off their feet. As Beth Moore put it, those who came to apprehend Him were themselves apprehended by Him. Where are we seeing such responses in what we call worship these days? It's like we come to see "shows" about Him, rather than in expectation of actually "seeing" Him. In this Christmas season, many churches will be singing the Hallelujah chorus with their lips. Will it be on and in their hearts? How far might we have drifted from the sense of wonder, awe, and the giving of glory to Him "who was, and is, and is to be?"

In the Word, it was said of the Israelites after they had fashioned the golden calf while Moses was on Mt. Sinai that "they exchanged the glory of God for a statue of a grass eating ox." Can we at least ask ourselves whether and to what degree we may be doing the same? We cannot manufacture or reproduce His glory. We can only worship it. Father, deliver us from the hipster mentality.....and anything else that seeks to displace you in our hearts, minds....and worship.

Blessings,
Pastor O