The Curse of Being Novel

I am so glad that I am not hip.  That I am not cool.  That I am not the flavor of the day.  Why?

Because, well, I'm a pastor.  It's my job to take the same old truth and apply it over and over and over again.  Being a pastor is going to be fundamentally repetative, because we preach Christ Jesus, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

But here's where the rub comes in.  What happens when you want to be hip or edgy.  What happens when you want to affect some sort of vibe that isn't you?

Chances are, you end up making stuff up.

Seriously, this is why I can't walk into a Christian bookstore without wanting to throw up.  I look at the various titles, and my first thought, "They are making stuff up!" 

Even theologians will do this to.  We want to get published, so we add a new, cool "adjective" here, or maybe a fancy preposition phrase, and suddenly, "Wow, look at my awesome insight."

I'd rather just talk about Jesus.

Because that way, I know what I'm going to do when I roll out of bed tomorrow... or a year from now, or 10 years from now. 

I'll never have to come up with a "second hit" or the next big thing.  I just point to Jesus.

While this doesn't excite my old adam (in fact, it down right torques him off), in this my new man rejoices, for in Christ I have forgiveness, peace, and joy.  And that's a good good thing.