Jesus: Unplugged

I read an interesting article in Metro Silicon Valley today. It's about an evangelical church in Santa Cruz called the Vintage Faith Church. While it has a traditional Christian focus and message, its gatherings are much more informal and hip than your typical church. Patrons wear flip-flops and jeans to services rather than their Sunday best. This particularly appeals to younger members - or as the article puts it, members of the "postmodern generation". Dan Kimball (a proponent of Emergent Christianity) got the idea for the distinctive services while watching MTV:

"Late one night, I happened upon the band the Cranberries playing an Unplugged concert on MTV. It was an all-acoustic performance. The state was draped with a dark, rich fabric and lit by candelabras. It looked more like a grandmother's attic than a rock-concert venue, and I was struck by the simplicity of it. No fancy light shows or drumset risers. I also noticed how close the audience was seated to the musicians. There wasn't a giant separation between the two groups. Rather, they were all sort of together in a 'community.' I immediately felt there was something very interesting to this 'unplugged' approach."

I have to admit. All the formality of traditional religious services is one of the things that keeps me away. I'd much prefer an informal discussion environment to a formal preaching environment. Perhaps this approach will catch on more broadly. Or perhaps it will be a passing fad. Hopefully it will be the former.